Ripe tomatoes hang from the plants, which are bent under their weight. But farmers have no interest in picking them, so large quantities of tomatoes are rotting in the fields. It is not just tomatoes: other vegetables are also rotting in the fields because prices do not match demand. This was the picture in various parts of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram.

Locals say the tomatoes are rotting in the fields because of the heat, and that falling prices have also made them lose interest in picking. Marketing a maund of tomatoes costs more than it sells for, and they are counting losses.

Farmers say various vegetables are grown in Sitakunda upazila all year round and supplied to different parts of the country, and that Sitakunda's farmers help meet the country's vegetable demand. People in the agriculture sector believe the losses could have been avoided if there were processing facilities or storage for tomatoes and other vegetables.

Across the upazila, field after field is under vegetables: tomato, yardlong bean, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, okra and more. Yields are good, but farmers are frustrated at the prices. Every year vegetables are grown in Baroiyarhat Dhala, Syedpur, Muradpur, Barabkunda, Banshbaria and Kumira unions of Sitakunda, and tomatoes give the highest yield.

Nurul Absar, a farmer in Syedpur union, said: "I grew tomatoes on about 150 decimals. It cost about Tk 2.5-3 lakh, much of it borrowed. The yield is good too. But marketing costs more than what I get from selling. A kilogram of tomatoes is selling for Tk 8-10."

Shahidul Islam said: "I grew tomatoes on about 100 decimals, which cost about Tk 3-3.5 lakh. If I take 3 maunds of tomatoes to market they sell for Tk 1,200-1,300. Marketing costs more than that. Other vegetables are also very cheap."

Farmer Titu Chowdhury said: "We got some price at first, but then tomato prices fell. Farmers are no longer picking tomatoes from the fields. They have to sell at half of what it costs to pick them, so the tomatoes are rotting in the fields."

Sitakunda upazila agriculture officer Habib Ullah said: "Tomatoes ripen quickly in intense heat. If there were tomato processing facilities or cold storage, the tomatoes would not be wasted. Farmers are frustrated because they are not getting prices for tomatoes and other vegetables in line with demand."

He said: "Many farmers have turned to vegetables because they are profitable. But this time, without good prices, they cannot recover production costs and are in trouble. That is why vegetables grown with much effort and money are rotting in the fields."

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