Sunamganj is a district of fish and rice: its people live by growing one Boro crop in the dry season and fishing in the monsoon. Now markets across the district are full of winter vegetables and buyers are crowding in, but low prices have left farmers glum.

Farmers say Sunamganj has had a good winter vegetable crop and they were glad of such a yield after the floods. Markets are already full of bottle gourd, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, radish, pointed gourd, aubergine, cucumber, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, red amaranth and other vegetables.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the district's target this year was 12,000 hectares of vegetables, but 12,500 hectares were planted, more than the target.

From dawn, farmers bring vegetables by boats large and small to the biggest vegetable market in Sunamganj town, where Tk 7 lakh worth of vegetables is sold every day. But farmers are not getting the prices they hoped for and are frustrated, while buyers are pleased to find vegetables cheap.

Farmer Azam Ali said he suffered heavy losses in the floods and then took a loan to grow vegetables. The crop was good and he had hoped to put the flood damage behind him and get back on his feet, but low prices have left him worried.

Farmer Shamser Ali said: "I grew radish and got a good crop, but radish prices at the market are very low, so I'm somewhat disappointed."

Farmer Nure Alam said: "I grew bottle gourd, tomatoes and cucumber. The yield is good but the price is low."

Hadis Mia said: "I brought a boatload of cauliflower, cabbage and radish. The vegetable crop is good this year, but prices are very low."

Another grower, Raju Mia, said: "I've brought vegetables to the market, but the price is low. A good crop is no use if we don't get a price."

Buyer Jubayer Ahmad said vegetable prices in Sunamganj were high last week, but they fell as soon as winter vegetables reached the market. He was glad to be able to buy cheaply.

Bimal Chandra Som, deputy director of the DAE in Sunamganj, told Jagonews that the district has had a good vegetable crop this year. "We are standing by the farmers and encouraging them. They have already started bringing winter vegetables to market," he said.

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