The consumers expressing their unhappiness over the price of early varieties winter vegetables in Jhenaidah soaring abide abandoned supply in markets.
They were facing hardship when the price of all types of fishes and meats did not come to their reach in last couple of months.
Villager Jasim Uddin, an elderly man from Muraidah in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila came to Jhenaidah kitchen market to buy some early winter vegetables. But he was disappointed when the sellers were claiming huge price for the same. Jasim Uddin said he could not understand how the prices of vegetables go double than the price procured from the farmers. He said the eggplant was procured from the farmers at Taka 30 to 35 for each kilogram, while the retailers were claiming Taka 60 to 70 to the consumers.
House wife Rafia Rahman when contacted at the kitchen market expressed the same opinion. She said there was almost huge supply of the early winter vegetables in the market for last two months, while the price was higher. A number of vegetable retailers at Jhenaidah kitchen market when contacted said the price was higher at the farmers’ level as the production was hampered due to severe drought since starting of the season. Further, the rotten vegetables are sometimes damaged when the demand goes least. To make the deficiency they were compelled to realize more money from the consumers, they said.
A source related to the office of the deputy director of the department of agriculture extension in Jhenaidah Khamarbari said the farmers in six Jhenaidah upazilas had cultivated early winter vegetables in Kharip-2 season on a total of 3,310 hectares of land. Upazila wise breakup for the farming was 845 hectares in Jhenaidah Sadar, 190 hectares in Kaliganj, 650 hectares in Kotchandpur, 580 hectares in bordering Moheshpur, 675 hectares in Shailkupa and remaining 370 hectares of land in Harinakundu. They have been producing 57,724 tons of the vegetables in current season at the rate of 17.44 tones on each hectare.
The farmers in the district had produced 69,048 tons in the last season. The average yield on each hectare was 19.10 tons. Cabbage, cauliflower, radish, palong, basil, sweet pumpkin, beans are the main items of the early variety vegetables, DAE sources said.
Asgar Ali, Deputy Director of the department of agriculture extension in Jhenaidah Khamarbari when contacted said the farming was actually hampered in the initial stage due to prolonged drought throughout the country. The farmers with hard labour arranging alternative irrigation water supply had produced the vegetables that had increased the production cost partially, Deputy Director said.