Excessive rains damaged vegetable crops in north

Production of summer vegetables in major growing areas has dropped by 50 percent or more, causing a serious disruption in supply to urban markets.

As a consequence, prices of vegetables have doubled or tripled everywhere at farm level, wholesale level and retail level.

A persistent low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal combined with an active monsoon in early July caused frequent rains and water-logging in vegetable fields in the north. Prior to the rains, vegetables were cheap.

According to farmers and traders interviewed in Rangpur and Gaibandha, before and after the incessant rains, the price of pointed gourd rose from Tk 400 to Tk 1600 per maund (40 kilograms),  chillies from Tk 800 to Tk 10,000 per maund, aubergine from Tk 1600 to Tk 3000 per maund, okra from Tk 400 to Tk 2400 per maund, bitter gourd from Tk 1500 to Tk 3000 per maund and yard-long bean from Tk 600 to Tk 2800 a maund. Prices of pumpkin, bottle gourd, ash gourd, sponge gourd, ridge gourd, snake gourd and plantain have increased at similar rates.

Vegetable growers in those districts told this author on 31 July that traders are now  offering much higher prices for vegetables.  Wholesale traders said the farmers were unable to supply enough vegetables.

Motiar Rahman (44), a farmer of Moshamari village in Mithapukur upazila, Rangpur, cultivated ginger, aubergine and yardlong bean on 100 decimals of land this year. "Water-logging due to frequent rains destroyed most of my crop. I can now harvest one and a half maunds  of  aubergine, compared to six maunds before." He added that farmers are now able to sell each maund at up to four times the previous price.

Ruhul Amin (32), another farmer of Rojbahapur in Pirganj, Rangpur, said that rainwater damaged vegetable crops such as pointed gourd, bitter gourd, bottle gourd and chillies on 120 out of the 150 decimals of land he had cultivated. He had expected to earn Tk 400,000 after investing Tk 150,000 in vegetable farming but has been able to sell vegetables worth just Tk 20,000. He said before the rain, there was too much supply of vegetables, and farmers were not offered a fair price. "I have scarcely anything to sell now though the price level is very high," he lamented.

In another vegetable growing hub of Sadullapur, Gaibandha, Saifur Rahman (38), a farmer in Raghobendrapur, said the rains damaged more than half of the vegetable crops of most of the farmers there. "We experience rains every year, but not like this year. I lost crops on 90 decimals. I used to sell 4 or 5 maunds of vegetables every week but now I can hardly sell anything," he said. He added that his fields produced 100 maunds of chillies last year, but only 15 maunds this year.

Bala Miah (64), a wholesale trader from Jaigirhat, Mithapukur, said that the supply of vegetables has declined by at least 50  per cent since the heavy rainfall in early July. "Before 5 farmers at a haat used to have enough vegetables for me, but now the entire haat does not have enough. I have to pay Tk 30-40 for the vegetables I bought for Tk 10 per kg before the rains," he said. He added that it is now difficult to send two trucks (each containing 15 tonnes) of vegetables to Dhaka or any other city, though he was able to send five trucks earlier. Asked how long the crisis would prevail, he explained that the supply might be normal with the arrival of winter vegetables.

Abdul Haque (55), a wholesale trader at Baluabazar, Pirganj, observed that the rain damaged most of the vegetable fields in the northern district, and production decreased by 50 to 70 per cent. He used to transport 30-40 tonnes of vegetables every week but he has stopped trading for the time being. "If a farmer brings 2 maunds to the haat, five traders will compete to buy it and bid the price up. That's why vegetables which used to cost 10 Taka now cost 50 Taka." he pointed out.

Rashedul Islam (50), another wholesaler of Dhaperhat in Sadullapur, Gaibandha, said, "Wholesale traders in Dhaka and Chattogram are calling and asking me to send vegetables but I cannot meet their demand. Most farmers crops have been ruined. Whenever a few farmers come to the market with their produce, traders pounce on them to buy and this drives the price up." He explained that the prices of farm produce are determined by demand and supply, not by any syndicate.

This writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at : sm67bd@yahoo.com