Price of winter vegetables high but farmers getting good prices

FT ONLINE

Many winter vegetables currently available in the market are being sold for little high prices in Dhaka. Every year, farmers cultivate these vegetables just for good prices.

Speaking to several farmers across the country, Finance Today Team has learned that they are making a good profit by cultivating winter vegetables in advance. There are speculations that the price will not be as high when the winter comes.

The expensive winter vegetables cultivated in advance became available in the retail markets of Dhaka for almost a month and a half. Most of these vegetables are being sold for more than Tk50, which is Tk80 in some markets.

Across retail markets in Dhaka, beans are now being sold for Tk50 toTk60 per kg, which was sold for Tk100 a few days ago. This year, the cost of bean cultivation has been Tk15-18 and farmers are selling the vegetable at Tk25-30 to the wholesalers, according to farmers who have been cultivating bean in advance.

But many farmers are directly selling beans in various markets for Tk40-45.

Hasmat Ali, a farmer from Chuadanga's Makhaldanga village, said, "I am cultivating beans on five bigha land. The cost of cultivation is a bit higher, as this crop requires extra care. Insects tend to attack this vegetable more."

Cauliflower and cabbage are now available in every vegetable market, but the prices are high. A better quality cauliflower is being sold at Tk50-60 and cabbage at Tk50-55.

Farmers are saying that it has cost them Tk8-14 to cultivate a cauliflower and Tk5-9 to cultivate a cabbage. However, the cultivation costs of these seasonal vegetables will slightly go down, said sources.

Farmers are selling a cauliflower at Tk25-30 and cabbage at Tk15-20 to the wholesalers.

Kamal Hossain, a farmer from Garabariya village of Chuadanga said, "I have cultivated cauliflowers on three bigha land and sold half of the vegetable. Depending on the size, I am selling cauliflowers at Tk25-30 per piece.

"This year, there has been less damage to the cauliflower yield and we are getting better prices."

Zahidul Islam, a farmer from Pabna said, "I have got good prices by cultivating carrots and cauliflower in advance. However, as soon as the seasonal vegetables arrive, these prices will fall."

Mostafa Kamal, a wholesale vegetable dealer at Dhaka's Karwan Bazar, said, "Within a week, the seasonal vegetables will start to arrive from different districts. Now most vegetables are coming from Dinajpur, Chuadanga and Rangpur."

Chondi Das Kundu, director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said, "Many farmers now grow winter vegetables in advance for making more profit as the prices fall during the winter."