As the olive season peaks, an increasing number of customers are flocking to the olive market of Debdar Tola Bazar in Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh to buy olives.
Local traders said that around 800 to 900 maunds of olives are bought and sold daily at this market. Currently, olives are selling at a price range of Tk 25 to Tk 40 per kg, while higher-quality olives are priced at 50 Taka per kg. Depending on the type of olive, farmers sell them at Tk 1000 to Tk 2000 Taka per maund.
Traders said that October and November are the peak months for olives. Small traders usually buy olive gardens from the garden owners on advance payment before the season begins. During the season, small traders bring the harvested olives from the trees to sell. This benefits the small traders, while the garden owners avoid the risk of transporting the olives themselves by selling them directly to the small traders at home.
Zakir Hossain, a small olive trader, says, we go door to door buying olives from farmers and bring them to the market. Traders from outside the district come to buy these olives. This way, farmers don't face any hassle, and we make a profit. The market for olives is good right now, so we are benefiting from this trade.
Alamgir Mollah, a trader from Dinajpur who came to buy olives, said the quality of olives in Debiganj is very good, so we come here every year to buy. This season, we have bought olives at Tk 30 to TK 50 Taka per kg, depending on quality. We buy olives from here and supply them to factories that produce various food products. Almost every household in the eight villages around the market grows olive trees.
Olive growers said that the trees require little care and no pesticides are needed. Small to medium-sized trees are sold for Tk 1,000 to Tk 5,000, while larger trees are sold at higher prices. Agricultural Officer of Debiganj upazila, Md Naeem Morshed, said commercial production of olives does not take place in this upazila, but almost every household in the village and many farmland areas along roadsides have olive trees. Also, traders from different parts of the country come to buy olives due to the olive market here. The agriculture department provides various advices to the farmers.
Deputy Director of Panchagarh Department of Agricultural Extension, Md Abdul Matin, said, olives are grown on about 13 hectares of land in five upazilas of Panchagarh. Olive trees are planted around people's homes or on unused land. It is a profitable crop, and the trees grow quickly. There is little cost for farmers in producing olives. This year, the total production of olives in the district reached 155 metric tonnes.
