Staff Correspondent, Rangpur
In Rangpur, the price of vegetables has not decreased even in the full season. As a result, consumers are not satisfied with vegetables. They expressed their anger because the market is booming in the surplus areas in vegetable production. However, the farmers have blamed the increase in the cost of fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and irrigation for the increase in the price of vegetables. Also, middlemen are increasing the price after changing hands.
It is known that Latibpur and Ranipukur unions of Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur are famous for vegetables. The vegetables produced in these two unions go to different districts of the country including Rangpur city, Dhaka, Chittagong. Jagirhat is the biggest vegetable market in Mithapukur. In this market, farmers and traders sell vegetables retail and wholesale. On Friday (January 12) morning, one can see farmers picking various crops from the fields in Rangpur in severe cold and bringing them in vans, bicycles, autorickshaws and tractors at 8 am. In Jagirhat farmers are selling their produce in the market itself. Many farmers are selling their crops to wholesalers. Around 250 wholesalers and farmers sell vegetables every Friday and Tuesday at Jaigirhat. There is no place for thousands of people to walk in the market. On Friday, locally produced potatoes are priced at Tk 36 per kg, sweet pumpkin at Tk 32, eggplant at Tk 50, kalai beans at Tk 50, bari beans at Tk 40, bitter gourd at Tk 60, carrots at Tk 30, cauliflower at Tk 30, green chillies at Tk 50, onions at Tk 64, Ginger Tk 2, Tomato Tk 40, Gourd Tk 50 per piece, Cabbage Tk 10, Napa Tk 25 among vegetables, Red Vegetables Tk 25, Bathua Tk 10 per piece, Spinach Tk 10, Greens Tk 10 , gourd vegetable 10 taka.
Raja Mia of Jagirhat area has been trading vegetables for 10 years. He said, this time the price of vegetables is very high. Potatoes were priced at Tk 20 to Tk 25 per kg at this time last year. This year that potato is sold at 36 taka per kg. I surprice that in harvesting period poteto selling in the growing area with high price.
Nurul Huda of Eidalpur said, "I brought cabage from my land and selling taka 10 to taka 12 taka, piece cabage. Nurul Huda said the wholesellers are purchase my cabage taka 10 to taka 12 and they sale taka 20 per cabage to others.
Mahmudul Hasan, a potato grower in Batasan area, said this time, potatoes are less in the market. So we are getting a little better price. In addition, due to weather problems, pesticides have to be applied more. Fertilizers, pesticides cost more. Irrigation costs have also increased due to increase in diesel prices. So even though potatoes are produced in Mithapukur, the market is a little high. But the price will come down within two weeks.
Farmer Anarul Islam said eggplant is selling taka 300 per maund.
Meanwhile, the vegetable market in the large city market of Rangpur city is on the rise. In this market last week potato (Asterix) was sold at Tk 72 per kg, beans at Tk 60, eggplant at Tk 60, cauliflower at Tk 40, cabbage at Tk 30, green pepper at Tk 60, onion at Tk 70.
Rangpur District Commissioner Mohammad Mobasher Hasan told SAT that winter vegetables have started to appear in the market. Market monitoring is being done to control the prices of vegetables and other products.
