Vegetable farmers who send their produces to Dhaka and other cities from
outlying areas have been badly affected by the opposition’s blockade
programmes which have gone on since November 26 for six days with a
day’s break.
Farmers from districts such as Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Rajshahi, Bogra,
Gazipur, Manikganj and Jessore said that prices of vegetables had fallen
by as much as 60 per cent in the past two days as very few wholesalers
were buying goods to send to Dhaka.
Consumers, particularly in Dhaka, have also been badly affected paying higher
prices for vegetables, with many items increased by between Tk 5 and Tk
10 a kilogram because of the increased transport costs resulting from
the blockade.
‘Because of successive general strike and blockade programmes, and
uncertainty about whether further programmes will be announced, the
wholesalers are not going to farmers and as a result, the poor farmers,
in need of money, are forced to sell their goods to local traders at a
very low rate,’ Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity general secretary Subol
Sarkar told New Age.
Referring to their district unit information, Subol said that a week
ago, spring onions were sold for Tk 30 to Tk 35 in places in Manikganj
but the price had on Sunday come down to Tk 15 to Tk 18.
‘In Bogra, aubergines that were sold for Tk 40 to Tk 45 a week ago are
now selling for Tk 15 to Tk 20 a kilogram. Radish that was sold for Tk 8
to Tk 10 a kilogram a week ago is now selling for Tk 3 to Tk 4 a
kilogram,’ he said.
Shahabuddin Obaidullah, a farmer of Rahimerkandi in Belabo in Narsingdi,
told New Age on Sunday, ‘Today I sold cauliflower for Tk 1,000 per 100
pieces each weighing around 1 kilogram and beans for Tk 1,200 per 40
kilograms at local Jangi Shibbari under Belabo in Narsingdi. On Friday, I
sold cauliflower for Tk 2,400 per 100 pieces and beans for Tk 2200 per
40 kilograms.’
He said that within two days, prices of red spinach came down at the
local Jangi-Shibpur market to Tk 200 per 40 kilograms from Tk 500 and
aubergine to Tk 600 or Tk 700 per 40 kilograms from Tk 1200 or Tk 1300
for the same amount.
DM Belayet Shahin, general secretary of Rob Nagarkandi IPM Club under
Tangibari in Munshiganj, said that the drastic fall in red spinach price
because of the the blockade programme had forced his next-door
neighbour to distribute all the edible herbs to local people from his
field as he will not be able to realise the collection and carrying cost
of the herbs.
Farmers of Godagari in Rajshahi, the biggest tomato-producing area in
the country, said that the price of tomatoes had reduced from Tk 1,400
to Tk 1,500 per 40 kilograms a week ago to half that price at Tk 600 or
Tk 700 on Sunday.
The New Age correspondent in Bogra also reported that vegetable prices
had reduced by almost 50 per cent in wholesale markets in the district
town in the past three days and cauliflower was sold for Tk 8 to Tk 10 a
piece, aubergine at Tk 18 to Tk 20 a kilogram, tomato for Tk 40 and
radish for Tk 5 a kilogram on Sunday.
In Rajarbagh, Shantinagar, Hatirpool and New Market kitchen markets in the capital, the cost of vegetables was high.
Beans were retailing between Tk 40 and Tk 70 a kilogram, cauliflower
between Tk 30 and Tk 45 a piece, radish between Tk 20 and Tk 30 a kg,
aubergine between Tk 50 and Tk 70 a kilogram, spring onions between Tk
35 and Tk 45 a kilogram, tomato between Tk 100 and Tk 120 a kilogram and
a bunch of red spinach weighing about 1 kilogram for Tk 30 on Sunday.
The Bangladesh Kanchamal Arat Malik Samiti president, Emran Master, told
New Age that prices of vegetables had increased a bit in the capital as
transport was suspended because of the ongoing countrywide blockade. (source)