Rafiqul Islam, a farmer from the Pathor Thakur area of Panchagarh Sadar upazila, spent Tk 30,000 growing cucumbers on one bigha (20 katha) of land. He expected a good price when the crop came in during Ramadan. But as cucumber prices suddenly fell abnormally, he was able to sell only Tk 50 worth, and has not picked any more from the field since. Cucumber growers across the district are in the same situation this season.

Cucumbers are selling at 50 paisa a kg in various fields in Panchagarh, meaning a maund can be had for Tk 20. In Dhaka, meanwhile, a kilogram of cucumber costs Tk 20. Despite bumper yields, farmers are counting losses because they are not getting a fair price.

In the space of a month, the wholesale price of cucumber has fallen from Tk 40 a kg to just 50 paisa. After passing through several hands, it sells in retail markets for Tk 12 to 15 a kg. Farmers have suffered heavy losses from cucumbers this season, and many have lost their capital.

The district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said cucumbers were grown on 210 hectares in the district this season, and yields were good. Before Ramadan, farmers sold cucumbers at Tk 35 to 40 a kg, but prices began to fall within a few days of the start of Ramadan.

Cucumbers now sell at 50 paisa a kg in the field. Traders buy them from farmers at that price and send them to Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Feni, Sylhet, Khulna, Jashore, Barishal and other parts of the country. In local retail markets a kilogram sells for Tk 10 to 12.

A visit to cucumber fields in different parts of the district on Sunday found bumper crops. The farmers had timed their planting for Ramadan, hoping for good prices, but where they sold at Tk 40 a kg before Ramadan, the price has now come down to 50 paisa.

Having grown cucumbers on borrowed money, farmers now face big losses. Production cost them Tk 25,000 to 30,000 per bigha, and yields were 10,000 to 12,000 kg per bigha. Selling at 50 paisa a kg, they get only Tk 5,000 to 6,000, a loss of up to Tk 20,000 to 25,000 per bigha. The price does not even cover the wages for picking, so cucumbers are rotting in many fields.

Rafiqul Islam, the Pathor Thakur grower, said: "I grew cucumbers on one bigha of land and have been able to sell only Tk 15 worth. I don't go to the cucumber field any more. Basically, because of the bumper crop this time, supply is far higher than demand, and that is why the price has collapsed."

Tozmol Haque, a farmer from Bamonpara in the same upazila, said: "No one is looking at the plight of farmers. A day's cucumber sales don't cover the wage of one labourer. Even if farmers die in the fields, no one is paying attention. If this goes on, we will lose interest in growing vegetables."

Rabiul Islam, a farmer from Khoykhot Para in Tetulia upazila, said: "I grew cucumbers on three bighas and spent about Tk 70,000. So far I have been able to sell only Tk 15,000 worth. The rest is rotting in the field."

Aslam Uddin, a commission agent at the Panchagarh vegetable market, said arrivals of cucumber are very high, which is why prices have fallen. Earlier, 2 to 3 sacks of cucumber were picked from a bigha each week; with good yields, 15 to 20 sacks are now picked per bigha in the same time. "We used to be able to send cucumbers to different districts. Now there is no demand outside the district either. I have never seen a cucumber market like this in Ramadan," he said.

Shah Md Shakhawat Hossain, additional deputy director of the DAE, said: "Cucumbers usually sell at good prices in Ramadan, so farmers time their planting accordingly. That happened this year too, and every field had a bumper crop. Prices were good at first, but the market has now collapsed completely, and farmers are selling at 50 paisa a kg from the field. Demand for cucumber falls somewhat in cool weather, but prices may rise a little when the weather gets hotter."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.