Vegetable price fall frustrates farmers

Surprisingly this Ramadan the prices of various types of vegetables dropped sharply in the local kitchen markets due to poor demand and good supply of the perishable items.

Farmers in five upazilas of the district expected an extra profit from selling vegetables this year as they got a surprising return during the Ramadan last year.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Lalmonirhat source said yield of different types of vegetables, brinjal and amaranth (Shak) this season is nearly double compared to the last year.

Brinjal and amaranth were cultivated on around 800 acres of land in the district during this season and this plentiful supply has caused its price fall drastically in the local market.

Haider Ali, a farmer from Phulgachhi village in Sadar upazila, said huge supply of brinjal has led to its price fall in the. He is selling one kg of brinjal between Tk 8 to 10 although it was Tk 30 to 35 during the month of Ramadan last year, he added.

Dhinrendra Nath, 55, of Kamalabari village in Aditmari upazila cultivated red amaranth (lal shak) on three bighas of land and selling one kg of the amaranth between Tk 4 to 5 compared to Tk 12 to 15 last year.

Meanwhile, one kg of Kakrol is being sold between Tk 40 to 45 during the Ramadan in the last year, but the item is between Tk 14 to 16 this year, said Azizul Islam, 50, of Chinipara village.

Enamul Haque, upazila agriculture officer in Lalmonirhat, said abundant farming of vegetables has caused its price fall in the local market which makes the growers unhappy. However, many farmers got windfall profit by selling the vegetable for high prices a month ago.

As the vegetables are perishable items and there is no cold storages for storing vegetables, the farmers are compelled to selling their produced at low prices, he added.