Farmers in different areas of Kuakata upazila of Patuakhali have received a bumper yield of chili this year. However, the farmers are frustrated as they are not getting the expected price for the chilies due to the ongoing Corona Pandemic situation.
Local farmers were inclined to grow chilies this time as they had got bumper yield and good price for chilies in the last few years. So, chili farming in the area increased day by day. Local chili farmers worked hard day and night in the hope of earning a good fortune. However, these coastal chili growers are being deprived of a fair price because of the corona situation.
Currently, chili extraction is going on in the fields of Kuakata. Farmers are seen roaming across the field as everyone is busy in picking chilies from the field. Some are taking the chilies home on their heads, while others are drying them in the sun in their backyard. Meanwhile, those who picked their chilies in advance are now taking them to the local market for sale. Men as well as women are busy picking chilies from the fields but most of the workers picking chilies from the fields are women.
Local chili farmers said, the labourers who pick chilies from the field have to be paid 1 / 6th of the total yield. In addition, irrigation, fertilizers, medicines, care, and other staff cost quite a large amount of money. In this situation if they sell their chilies at the price going on in local markets, they will have to count heavy losses.
According to Kalapara Upazila office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) chilies has been planted on more than 500 hectors of land with a yield of 4 tonnes per hector in the upazila this season. Due to favorable weather, the initial production target has been exceeded already.
Various varieties of chilies including Bindu, Jeera and Bashgara are usually cultivated in this area. After meeting local demand, chilies produced in the area go to different areas of the district as well as the country, added local DAE sources.
as production and prices were good last year. Although the yield was good this year as well, the price was not as good as last year. Last year he sold a mound of dried chilies for Tk 8,000, but this year the same was sold for only Tk 5,000.
Another farmer named Abjal Bhadra (50) of Nayapara village under Latachapali Union said, he cultivated chilies on about 3 acres of land this time. He was selling per kg of green chilies for Tk 20-25 and per mound for Tk 700 only. With this price it was hard to reap any benefits so, he stopped selling green chilies and dried them. But the prices of dried chilies are also lower this year, so he will have to incur losses now.
Several farmers in Kuakata said they had to spend a lot of money on fertilizers, medicines and irrigation. If they don't get a fair price this year, they won't cultivate chilies in future.
Visiting the local markets, it was seen that farmers have brought dried chilies. Since there were no wholesalers in the market, they were returning home selling the chilies for lower prices. They said they were selling the chilies to alleviate the temporary financial hardship. They complained that local wholesalers were not buying chilies from them at higher prices as an alliance.
Kalapara Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Mannan said chilies have been planted on more than 500 hectors of land in the upazila this time. The average production per hectare is 4 tons. Farmers will lose interest to continue planting chilies in the future, if they do not get a fair price.
