Basabari in Nizampur union of Sharsha upazila is Jashore's biggest wholesale market for mukhi kochu (taro). Every day from noon until night, farmers sell lakhs of taka worth of mukhi kochu here. They bring their produce straight to the market and sell it at wholesale prices to traders from districts across the country. The fresh taro from here meets demand in Dhaka, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Sylhet and other parts of the country.

Along both sides of the roads running north-south and east-west through Basabari bazar, farmers sit with hundreds of sacks of the taro they have grown, showing it to buyers. As soon as the price is right, it is sold. The whole market is packed with taro.

Nazrul Islam, who came to sell taro, said this is the best taro market in the upazila. Taro sells here at a good price, farmers do well by selling directly at wholesale prices, and transport links are good.

Another grower, Abu Taleb, said: "I have come from neighbouring Jhikargachha upazila to sell taro. Traders from outside are at the Basabari market and there is plenty of demand, so we get our money as soon as the taro is sold."

Several growers said they had been coming here to sell taro for the past 4-5 years. There is no extra hassle at the market and they never have to take taro back home; it sells and fetches a good price. Good-quality taro is fetching a wholesale price of Tk 53-60 a kg, though it sometimes goes up or down.

Traders said they can buy taro selected by the farmers directly. Growers from all parts of the upazila come to sell at this market, so it is possible to inspect the taro before buying. There is a brisk trade in fresh taro, and it is regularly sent from this market to Rajshahi and Rangpur.

Local wholesaler (arotdar) Babu Mia said farmers bring the taro to market straight after lifting it from the field. They have found a fixed place to sell, and traders can pick out taro of different grades, so both sides benefit.

Selim Reza Bipul, chairman of Nizampur union in the upazila, said: "The Basabari wholesale mukhi kochu market is working to change farmers' fortunes. Thanks to such a market in the union, farmers from Nizampur, Dihi, Lakshmanpur and Bahadurpur unions, as well as several unions of neighbouring Jhikargachha upazila, can sell taro directly at the wholesale market. With the marketing facilities, taro cultivation is expected to expand widely in future."

Sharsha upazila agriculture officer Dipak Kumar Saha said: "Mukhi kochu is a profitable crop. It is being grown on a total of 180 hectares across the upazila, and cultivation of mukhi kochu will increase widely in this upazila in future."

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