Anisul Islam Noor :
The vegetable farmers are apprehending losses as they are gradually becoming unable to send their products to Dhaka and other major towns and cities for disruption of communication due to blockade. They are alternatively selling their products at below the production cost to avert catastrophe.
Traders said, the truck owners and drivers are refusing to ply on roads and highways, fearing arson and petrol bomb attacks. Its adverse impact will, however, fall on the Dhaka city residents soon unless the situation improves. Not only that, the truck fare has also been increased nearly by 100 per cent keeping an impact on the price line.
The price of vegetables, egg and fowl has declined by 40 to 200 per cent at farmers’ level since the beginning of the blockade on January 5, but it has gone up in Dhaka, Chittagong, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Savar kitchen markets.
Joint secretary of Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association Khandoker Mohsin said prices of poultry birds (broiler) decreased by Tk 30-40 per kg and egg by Tk 90-100 per hundred pieces in last seven days at the farmers’ level. The condition will be worse in a few days if the blockade continues, he said.
Vegetable prices increased by Tk 3-15 per kg, per piece and per bunch in Dhaka and Chittagong, according to the Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM).
President of Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Owners Association Md Tofazzal Hossain said that they were afraid of plying on their vehicles on highways for security reason. He said that the transport owners refusing to go on hire were avoiding risk of casualties and burning of their transports.
Cauliflower price, which was selling at Tk 8-10 per piece (medium size) iduring pre-blockade period, increased to Tk 18-25 per piece recently in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Different varieties of local bean, which was sold at Tk 20-30 per kg now sells at Tk 30-50 per kg, Rafiqul Islam, a vegetable trader at Karwan Bazar, said.
He said, supply of many vegetables from adjacent districts to Dhaka city is almost normal but the carrying cost has increased nearly by 100 per cent.
Prices of lentil, the most consumed pulse item, increased by Tk 10-24 per kg in last one and a half weeks in Dhaka city and its adjacent towns.
Prices of poultry bird, beef, mutton and fish increased by Tk 20-100 per kg or per piece, DAM data showed. Beef was selling at Tk 320-330 per kg which was Tk 290-300 per kg before blockade.
Robiul Alam, Secretary General of Bangladesh Meat Traders Association, said supply of cow, buffalo, goat, and sheep has fallen significantly. He said the Indian cow from through the northern and the southern border areas can’t enter Bangladesh
Bangladesh Fish Traders Association President Golam Mortaza Montu said, the price of a few varieties of fish increased. He said prices of sea fish and a few varieties of cultivated fish increased as their transportation depend on highways for reaching Dhaka and other cities.
However, when the prices are increasing in city markets, the scenario is totally different at the farmers’ end. The middle men are staking the advantage of the blockade and making higher profits.
Potato is being sold at Tk 3.5 to 4.5 per kg in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions which was Tk 9-10 per kg in the pre-blockade days, DAM data showed.
Prices of cauliflower, cabbage, bean, tomato, radish, onion plant, onion, pulse plants, leaf vegetables, sweat potato and carrot fell by Tk 2-20 per kg or per piece.
Moniruil Islam, a farmer at Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha district, told The New Nation over cell phone that he sold 500 pieces of cauliflowers at Tk 2.5 per piece on Thursday.
He said farmers were selling cauliflowers much below the production cost which is not less than Tk 8-10 per piece (medium size). He said local bean is being sold at Tk 6-8 per kg now which was Tk 16-18 per kg before blockade period.
The vegetable farmers are apprehending losses as they are gradually becoming unable to send their products to Dhaka and other major towns and cities for disruption of communication due to blockade. They are alternatively selling their products at below the production cost to avert catastrophe.
Traders said, the truck owners and drivers are refusing to ply on roads and highways, fearing arson and petrol bomb attacks. Its adverse impact will, however, fall on the Dhaka city residents soon unless the situation improves. Not only that, the truck fare has also been increased nearly by 100 per cent keeping an impact on the price line.
The price of vegetables, egg and fowl has declined by 40 to 200 per cent at farmers’ level since the beginning of the blockade on January 5, but it has gone up in Dhaka, Chittagong, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Savar kitchen markets.
Joint secretary of Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association Khandoker Mohsin said prices of poultry birds (broiler) decreased by Tk 30-40 per kg and egg by Tk 90-100 per hundred pieces in last seven days at the farmers’ level. The condition will be worse in a few days if the blockade continues, he said.
Vegetable prices increased by Tk 3-15 per kg, per piece and per bunch in Dhaka and Chittagong, according to the Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM).
President of Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Owners Association Md Tofazzal Hossain said that they were afraid of plying on their vehicles on highways for security reason. He said that the transport owners refusing to go on hire were avoiding risk of casualties and burning of their transports.
Cauliflower price, which was selling at Tk 8-10 per piece (medium size) iduring pre-blockade period, increased to Tk 18-25 per piece recently in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Different varieties of local bean, which was sold at Tk 20-30 per kg now sells at Tk 30-50 per kg, Rafiqul Islam, a vegetable trader at Karwan Bazar, said.
He said, supply of many vegetables from adjacent districts to Dhaka city is almost normal but the carrying cost has increased nearly by 100 per cent.
Prices of lentil, the most consumed pulse item, increased by Tk 10-24 per kg in last one and a half weeks in Dhaka city and its adjacent towns.
Prices of poultry bird, beef, mutton and fish increased by Tk 20-100 per kg or per piece, DAM data showed. Beef was selling at Tk 320-330 per kg which was Tk 290-300 per kg before blockade.
Robiul Alam, Secretary General of Bangladesh Meat Traders Association, said supply of cow, buffalo, goat, and sheep has fallen significantly. He said the Indian cow from through the northern and the southern border areas can’t enter Bangladesh
Bangladesh Fish Traders Association President Golam Mortaza Montu said, the price of a few varieties of fish increased. He said prices of sea fish and a few varieties of cultivated fish increased as their transportation depend on highways for reaching Dhaka and other cities.
However, when the prices are increasing in city markets, the scenario is totally different at the farmers’ end. The middle men are staking the advantage of the blockade and making higher profits.
Potato is being sold at Tk 3.5 to 4.5 per kg in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions which was Tk 9-10 per kg in the pre-blockade days, DAM data showed.
Prices of cauliflower, cabbage, bean, tomato, radish, onion plant, onion, pulse plants, leaf vegetables, sweat potato and carrot fell by Tk 2-20 per kg or per piece.
Moniruil Islam, a farmer at Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha district, told The New Nation over cell phone that he sold 500 pieces of cauliflowers at Tk 2.5 per piece on Thursday.
He said farmers were selling cauliflowers much below the production cost which is not less than Tk 8-10 per piece (medium size). He said local bean is being sold at Tk 6-8 per kg now which was Tk 16-18 per kg before blockade period.
