Can farmers’ markets be mainstreamed?
A farmers’ market project has been implemented in Dhaka and surrounding areas in recent times. We spoke to those involved to learn about the challenges and benefits of operating farmers’ markets in big cities
Every agricultural season, bumper yields of various crops bring worry instead of happiness for farmers. Prices fall drastically, so much so that even the cost of harvesting surpasses that of the market price. Farmers suffer huge losses as a consequence.
In the cases where the particular crop cannot be preserved or processed for later consumption, the situation deteriorates.
Agricultural economists think that facilitating farmers' markets — where farmers bring their own produce to directly sell to the consumers, eliminating the middlemen — can protect the producers against the price fall while giving consumers access to affordable produce.
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The idea sounds good in theory, but is it executable in Bangladesh's context, where extortion and unlawful control over marketplaces run rampant?
But we do not have to speculate as a farmers' market project has been implemented in Dhaka and surrounding areas in recent times, and some of the markets are still operating beyond the project's tenure. We spoke to those involved to learn about the challenges and benefits of operating farmers' markets in big cities.
They said allocating a space with water and sanitation facilities, in association with local government bodies, is important, and once operational, local consumers often come forward to safeguard the marketplace. The continuation of some of the markets even after the completion of the project shows that farmers' markets are feasible beyond the harvesting season.
The success of the farmers' markets in Dhaka and Narayanganj clearly shows that with minimal support from the local government bodies, such markets can operate on a permanent basis and help farmers get fair prices for their produce.
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) piloted a farmers' market in Ward number 6 in Dhaka North City Corporation. After the successful completion of the pilot project, FAO, under the 'Establishing Neighbourhood Farmers' Market in Dhaka' programme as a part of the Dhaka Food System project, established a total of 16 farmers' markets — six in Dhaka North, six in Dhaka South, two in Gazipur City Corporation, and two in Narayanganj City Corporation.
Like the pilot, WBB Trust was the implementing partner for this project.
The stated goal of the programme was 'to increase the accessibility of safe, nutritious, and fresh foods for community members, and to bridge the gap between the producers and the consumers, minimising the interference of middlemen.'
Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust was the implementing partner of this programme. This was done in association with the Agriculture Extension Department, which selected the farmers for the programme. Thirty farmers — who use pheromone traps as pesticide — were selected and trained for every market. Relevant ward councillors of the city corporations helped choose suitable locations for the markets.
"You know how hard it is to find a space for anything in this overcrowded city. We sat with the communities, farmers, Department of Agriculture Extension [DAE], local agriculture officers and so on to implement the whole thing," said Gaous Pearee, the director of WBB Trust.
The project officially continued until November 2023, starting from May 2022. WBB, however, continued supporting the farmers after the project was completed. Under the project, the farmers used to get free transport for their produce, lunch money, as well as other things for their comfort such as umbrellas and stools.
The support was gradually reduced to only a monthly visit. Still, nine of the 16 markets survived. The markets operate weekly in different places in Dhaka and Narayanganj, namely, Tikatuli, Khilgaon, Lalmatia, Eskaton, and Mirpur.
"Farmers made committees on their own to operate the markets. Those who could unite persisted, others ceased their operation," said Md Mithun, assistant project officer at WBB Trust.
Although the markets were originally designed to host 10 farmers, a lower number of farmers currently arrive at the market to reduce cost and save man-hours, but they bring crops from their fellow farmers.
One such farmer, Amir Hamza from Savar, sits at Mirpur 6, block Ta, on Fridays. He said he and five or six other farmers bring an eight-foot pickup full of agricultural products every week. Amir said they brought about 30 vegetables and other items.
"We don't have to pay for the space we use. Also, there is no extortion on the way nowadays, so our expenses are limited, and the return is not bad," he said.
Arguably, there is one catch. The items sold by these farmers are costlier than those sold in regular kitchen markets. Farmers and organisers said it is because these crops are safe and nutritious. They are produced and marketed in a way so they do not contain harmful chemical pesticides.
Asked how the organisers ensure the safety, Gaous Pearee said this is based on trust and information from the DAE. She added that the taste of the food is also better due to the superior production method, and she herself collects her groceries from the nearest farmers' market.
An earlier TBS report from 2022 quoted two types of customers who were and were not interested in buying from farmers' markets. The first type mentioned the freshness of the items, and the latter pointed to the higher prices compared to the local market behind their choice.
Amir Hamza said they have repeat customers.
"We have customers who come from quite a distance. There is one couple who spends a Tk50-rickshaw fare to come to the farmers' market. Some place orders over the phone, and we bring the food they want," the farmer said.
Ekushey Padak winning agricultural economist Dr Jahangir Alam Khan told The Business Standard that farmers' markets are one of the measures that can protect the farmers from losses, especially when there is a bumper production.
"Facilitating farmers' markets in big cities where farmers will directly bring their products in truckloads will be helpful. The government should create facilities for such markets, where farmers or the Department of Agricultural Marketing themselves will bring the produce," he said.
Mentioning that the agriculture marketing department should play an active role in this, Dr Jahangir Alam Khan said, "Agriculture is not a white collar job, and it cannot be done sitting in air conditioned rooms. They have to work closely with farmers, they must intervene."
"The success of the farmers' markets in Dhaka and Narayanganj clearly shows that with minimum support from the local government bodies, such markets can operate on a permanent basis and help the farmers get fair prices for their produce," said Gaous Pearee.
