One of the country's largest seasonal olive markets is in full swing at Debdarutala in Debiganj upazila, Panchagarh. Between 140 and 200 tonnes of olives change hands every day, worth about Tk 50 lakh. The market runs from October to the first week of January, Dinajpur TV reports.
Farmers and small traders bring olives from across Panchagarh and from Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Nilphamari, and with good road links, wholesalers from Dhaka, Chattogram and elsewhere buy here. One trader from Chattogram said he regularly buys 8 to 12 tonnes at a time to supply other parts of the country.
Farmer Nazrul Islam of East Debi brought olives from his own tree to the market for the first time this year and said he got a good price for one tree's crop. Between 200 and 250 workers sort, clean and load olives every day; women such as Sabitri Das earn Tk 300 a day sorting and removing stalks from morning to afternoon.
The upazila extension office says about three hectares in Debiganj are under olive. But the market has no cold store, so the fruit has to be loaded onto trucks for other districts straight after sale. Traders and farmers want the market expanded and a government cold store built.
Debiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Indrajit Saha said illegal occupation will be cleared to expand the market, and the agriculture ministry will be written to about setting up a local cold store.
Photo: olives (file), Gregorvitch / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Dinajpur TV
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