SATKHIRA, Dec 10 (UNB): The oversupply of vegetables is forcing farmers in Satkhira to sell their produces at lower prices, raising fears that they will not be able to get back their production costs.
Although Satkhira has recorded a bumper production this season, traders and farmers say vegetables are being sent to the southern district from various places in larger quantities, leading to oversupply.
The prices of various vegetables have come down by Tk 8 to 10 per kilogram compared to the previous season.
Farmer Amzad Hossain from Mahmudpur village under Sadar upazila said he planted winter vegetable on two bighas of land. He said he felt discouraged at the vegetable price.
"Last year, I sold cauliflower for Tk 22 to Tk 25 per kg, but this year I'm getting only Tk 12 to Tk 14. This time, every maund of cabbage is being sold at Tk 240 - half the amount compared to the last year," he said.
Like Amzad, Nurul Amin, a farmer from the upazila's Agardari village, said he grew vegetables - mostly turnip, cabbage and spinach - on three bighas this season. "I'm worried about getting good prices," he said.
Rawshan Ali, general secretary of Satkhira Vegetable Traders' Association, said a huge quantity of vegetables was entering Satkhira market every day from other districts - pushing down the prices of all types of winter crops.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, the government had planned to produce vegetables on 9,795 hectares in seven upazilas of Satkhira this season.
DAE Deputy Director Arabinda Biswas said the local production was higher compared to the previous year. "Although the local production was buoyant, the market has been flooded with vegetables from other districts. This is why the farmers are getting the lower prices," he said.