Supply of paddy dropped at Ahuganj wholesale market in Brahmanbaria as the farmers were not getting the expected price during the full season.
In previous seasons, farmers and traders of haor areas brought around 50 to 60 thousand maunds of paddy at the wholesale market per day. However, the supply has come down to 15 to 20 thousands maunds this season.
The traders said trading has declined at the wholesale market due to low price of paddy.
The farmers and traders said that Ashuganj’s wholesale paddy market in Brahmanbaria is quite important in the eastern areas for selling paddy. The paddy cultivated in Kishoreganj, Sylhet, Habiganj, Netrakona, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sunamganj and other haor areas are brought at the wholesale paddy market by farmers and traders by waterway.
In other seasons, 60 to 70 thousands maunds of paddy were traded in Ashuganj every day. The supplies of paddy have decreased at the wholesale market as the farmers and traders were not getting their expected prices.
Despite good paddy yield this year, the farmers could not make good profit due to low price. Per maund of coarse paddy was being sold at Tk 800 to 900 and fine paddy was being sold at Tk 900 to 1,050 per maund at Ashuganj wholesale paddy market this season.
The traders claimed they sell the paddy they bought from the farmers in a low price and they were not making much profit as well selling them. So, the supply of paddy has dropped.
The farmers blamed syndicates for the low price of paddy. Brushing aside their claims, the storehouse owners said the price dropped as new paddy had come to the market. There is no existence of syndicate here, they added.
Meanwhile, the low paddy price put an impact on the rice market as well. While visiting Anandabazar, the largest rice market in Brahmanbaria, this correspondent found that coarse rice was being sold at Tk 1,700 per maund while it was sold at Tk 1,900 earlier. Fine rice was being sold at Tk 2,650 taka per maund which was Tk 2,800 earlier.
The rice traders claimed that less paddy was damaged this year. So, the farmers stocked their crops with a view to making a good profit. Rice trading is less now. However, the trading and price of paddy and rice will be increased in future.
Ashuganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shyamal Chandra Basak said the matter of syndicates is being monitored.
