Two farmers in Kumarkhali, Kushtia, grew poison-free bitter gourd under Good Agricultural Practices, but with no separate market they get the same low price as ordinary produce.
Roe-laden hilsa landed at Bharuch is going to Bangladesh as a trial run, says Howrah Fish Importers' Association secretary Syed Anwar Maksud, whose association is meanwhile lobbying Dhaka for Padma hilsa before the Pujas.
For the first time, Gujarati hilsa has been imported into Bangladesh, with about 500 tonnes already sent, reversing the usual flow of hilsa from Bangladesh to India before Durga Puja.
A month after Indian fish traders wrote asking Bangladesh to lift its hilsa export ban for Durga Puja, about 500 tonnes of Gujarat hilsa have been sent into Bangladesh.
The Fish Importers' Association of Kolkata has written to Khandaker Abdul Muktadir seeking a permanent end to the ban in place since July 2012, saying the limited Durga Puja permits since 2019 are not enough.
Moslem Uddin of Sakhipur in Tangail expects to sell Tk 10 million of early-variety sour jujube this season from about 50 acres, clearing some Tk 3 million and employing 15 people year-round.
Kamal Uddin went to Riyadh as an agricultural labourer in 1998; today his rented farm at Hafirat Nisa grows brinjal, chilli, bitter gourd, tomato and gourds, and his workers say board, lodging and wages on time let them send remittances home.
High prices for imported fruit in Cumilla are pushing buyers towards cheaper local fruit, although local prices have also risen by Tk 10-50 a kg in a week.
Under Bangladesh Bank's revolving scheme, farmers and agribusinesses in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions can borrow at no more than 7 percent for four stages of the supply chain, from production and storage to export.
The ceiling drops from Tk 6.75 to Tk 6 a kilo until 31 December; owners say they will lose Tk 1.725 billion, while growers say the real cost is no more than Tk 2.50 a kilo.
Bangladesh's agro-processing export earnings have fallen below $1 billion despite a fast-growing global market, speakers at the BAPA Foodpro International Expo said.
Speaking at Fulgazi in Feni, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said stocks are sufficient, blamed a racket for trying to engineer a shortage, and announced 110,000 farmer cards in a first phase.
At least 15 farmer protests in a month, 204 mobile courts and 1,700 sacks recovered: why fertiliser in store is not reaching the field.
