The "dhalan" practice has been scrapped in the buying and selling of mangoes in Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj this season, and a commission system has been introduced instead. Wholesalers may take a commission of up to Tk 1.5 a kg from growers.

The decision was taken on Wednesday (11 June) after a meeting at the Rajshahi divisional commissioner's office, chaired by Divisional Commissioner Khondaker Azim Ahmed.

Before this there had been weeks of tension between farmers, wholesalers and the administration over demands to end dhalan. For generations in the Rajshahi region, a maund of mangoes was counted as 42 to 55 kg but paid for as 40 kg. That extra weight was the dhalan. Various moves by the administration failed to stop the practice.

To resolve the problem, a letter seeking guidance was sent to the Ministry of Agriculture after discussion at a divisional development coordination meeting on 28 April. With no response, farmers and wholesalers went to the commissioner's office on 4 June. The next day a meeting was held with people involved in the mango trade in the division's four districts. It decided that mangoes would be sold by the kilogram according to variety, grade and quality, and that no commission could be taken. In practice, however, wholesalers stopped buying mangoes at 40 kg a maund, forcing many farmers to accept dhalan again, and the practice continued in secret.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, a meeting of the Rajshahi Divisional Mango Wholesalers and Traders Association at Rohanpur in Chapainawabganj decided that a maund would be counted as 40 kg but a commission of Tk 3 a kg would be taken. This caused widespread anger among farmers and disorder in the market.

Ismail Khan, a mango farmer in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj, said: "If you don't want to give dhalan or commission, the wholesalers won't buy your mangoes. Many were forced to start giving dhalan again. Some secretly sold mangoes at 54 kg to the maund. That brought prices down. Himsagar that sold at Tk 3,500 a maund has now fallen to Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,500."

Against this background, Wednesday's meeting was held, again led by the divisional commissioner. Discussions ran from 11.30am to 5pm, attended by mango farmers, market lessees, wholesalers and traders from Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon.

Shahin Mia, one of the lessees of Kansat market, was at the meeting. He said wholesalers argued for a commission of Tk 3 a kg while farmers would agree only to Tk 1. At one point in the discussions both sides agreed to a commission of Tk 1.5.

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