Brinjal farmers of Narsingdi suffer heavy losses

Several thousand brinjal farmers in the Narsingdi Sadar, Shibpur, Belabo and Raipura Upazilas of Narsingdi district are feeling frustrated because of the heavy losses they have suffered with their summer brinjal crop. Prices of the vegetable plummeted due to bumper production and huge supplies to different wholesale markets of all the six upazilas during April 1 to April 8.

 The brinjal cultivators were compelled to sell their produce in the various local wholesale markets at a nominal price. Wholesale traders purchased brinjal at the rate of Tk 100 for 40 kg, farmer Jashim Uddin of Khamarerchar village, under Belabo Upaila, told journalists of the Narsingdi Press Club when they visited two big vegetable wholesale markets, Johor bazaar in Shibpur Upazila on April 7 and Jangi Shibpur bazaar on April 8, in Raipura Upazila.

In the beginning of the summer vegetable season, brinjal cultivators found themselves deprived of fair price for their products due to oversupply in the local wholesale markets. The growers has also stopped harvesting brinjal from their fields because of the losses and for being unable to recover their investments, said Abdul Karim, a vegetable wholesaler in Jangi Shibpur bazaar.

The farmers are now in financial trouble and do not know how to provide for their families. Abdul Jalil, a farmer of Morzal village, under Raipura Upazila, told this correspondent that he had cultivated brinjal on three bighas of land and lady’s fingers on 2 bighas. But due to a bumper production and huge supply of brinjal in the wholesale markets, he was compelled to sell his produce at a price as low as Tk 100 per 40 kg in the local Johaor bazaar on April 7.

He said last year and the year before brinjal had fetched Tk 380 to Tk 400 per 40 kg.

Like Abdul Jalil, many farmers of Shibpur, Belabo and Raipura Upazilas spoke of their woes caused by their inability to despatch their produce to other places because of high transportation costs. They are now worried about how to sustain themselves in the coming days.

Preservation of brinjal is a difficult task in the absence of any cold storage facilities in the district. The situation has compelled the growers to sell the produce at a price much lower than the production cost. The prices of other vegetables, too, have come down in the wholesale vegetable markets in Narsingdi district.

Lotafat Hossain Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Narsingdi, said farmers of the district had cultivated summer vegetables on about 9,500 hectares of land in the district’s six upazilas this season. Brinjal was grown on about 4,000 hectares and the production was good this year.

Abdur Karim of Jangi Shibpur bazaar vegetable wholesale market in Raipura Upazila said the largest vegetable markets in Shibpur, Jangi- Shibpur, Baroicha, Narayanpur Johor, Chaitonya and Morzal were swamped by brinjal but there were not as many buyers.

Abdul Hye, Narsingdi Sadar Upazila Agriculture Official, said that vegetables were being damaged at the field level due to bumper production and huge supply of brinjal in the market. Moreover, the cultivators were not sending their produce different places due to high transportation cost, resulting in losses.

Vegetable cultivator Abdul Gafur of Adiabad village in Raipura upazila said prices of pesticides, fertilisers and bamboo had gone up and so had labour cost.

Vegetable growers said there were no cold stores or vegetable processing factories in the district, although it produces a large quantity of the country’s total vegetable produce. In the absence of preservation facilities and cold stores, growers were compelled to sell their vegetables in the peak season at nominal prices, while abandoned vegetables perishing in the fields.

 The farmers urged the government and industrialists to set up a good number of cold stores in the Shibpur, Raipura and Belabo Upazilas in the interest of farmers.

 

Brinjal farmers of Narsingdi suffer heavy losses

Several thousand brinjal farmers in the Narsingdi Sadar, Shibpur, Belabo and Raipura Upazilas of Narsingdi district are feeling frustrated because of the heavy losses they have suffered with their summer brinjal crop. Prices of the vegetable plummeted due to bumper production and huge supplies to different wholesale markets of all the six upazilas during April 1 to April 8. The brinjal cultivators were compelled to sell their produce in the various local wholesale markets at a nominal price. Wholesale traders purchased brinjal at the rate of Tk 100 for 40 kg, farmer Jashim Uddin of Khamarerchar village, under Belabo Upaila, told journalists of the Narsingdi Press Club when they visited two big vegetable wholesale markets, Johor bazaar in Shibpur Upazila on April 7 and Jangi Shibpur bazaar on April 8, in Raipura Upazila. In the beginning of the summer vegetable season, brinjal cultivators found themselves deprived of fair price for their products due to oversupply in the local wholesale markets. The growers has also stopped harvesting brinjal from their fields because of the losses and for being unable to recover their investments, said Abdul Karim, a vegetable wholesaler in Jangi Shibpur bazaar. The farmers are now in financial trouble and do not know how to provide for their families. Abdul Jalil, a farmer of Morzal village, under Raipura Upazila, told this correspondent that he had cultivated brinjal on three bighas of land and ladys fingers on 2 bighas. But due to a bumper production and huge supply of brinjal in the wholesale markets, he was compelled to sell his produce at a price as low as Tk 100 per 40 kg in the local Johaor bazaar on April 7. He said last year and the year before brinjal had fetched Tk 380 to Tk 400 per 40 kg. Like Abdul Jalil, many farmers of Shibpur, Belabo and Raipura Upazilas spoke of their woes caused by their inability to despatch their produce to other places because of high transportation costs. They are now worried about how to sustain themselves in the coming days. Preservation of brinjal is a difficult task in the absence of any cold storage facilities in the district. The situation has compelled the growers to sell the produce at a price much lower than the production cost. The prices of other vegetables, too, have come down in the wholesale vegetable markets in Narsingdi district. Lotafat Hossain Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Narsingdi, said farmers of the district had cultivated summer vegetables on about 9,500 hectares of land in the districts six upazilas this season. Brinjal was grown on about 4,000 hectares and the production was good this year. Abdur Karim of Jangi Shibpur bazaar vegetable wholesale market in Raipura Upazila said the largest vegetable markets in Shibpur, Jangi- Shibpur, Baroicha, Narayanpur Johor, Chaitonya and Morzal were swamped by brinjal but there were not as many buyers. Abdul Hye, Narsingdi Sadar Upazila Agriculture Official, said that vegetables were being damaged at the field level due to bumper production and huge supply of brinjal in the market. Moreover, the cultivators were not sending their produce different places due to high transportation cost, resulting in losses. Vegetable cultivator Abdul Gafur of Adiabad village in Raipura upazila said prices of pesticides, fertilisers and bamboo had gone up and so had labour cost. Vegetable growers said there were no cold stores or vegetable processing factories in the district, although it produces a large quantity of the countrys total vegetable produce. In the absence of preservation facilities and cold stores, growers were compelled to sell their vegetables in the peak season at nominal prices, while abandoned vegetables perishing in the fields. The farmers urged the government and industrialists to set up a good number of cold stores in the Shibpur, Raipura and Belabo Upazilas in the interest of farmers.