Chattogram district administration has been conducting drives to control the price of watermelon during the holy month of Ramadan.
Watermelon is a popular juicy fruit at Iftar. The price of this fruit has increased more than twice in the wholesale market.
Assistant Agricultural Marketing Officer Abu Bakar and a team of Kotwali Police Station led by District Administration Executive Magistrate Prateek Dutta have been monitoring the purchase and sale receipts and price list in the city market.
According to the information given by the farmers, the average production cost of 100 watermelons nearly about 10 thousand taka. But the watermelons are being sold at an average of Tk 15 thousand at the production level and at the wholesale level at Tk 20 thousand.
Although the production cost of each watermelon is Tk 100 but it is being sold up to Tk 330. According to the Agricultural Marketing Act 2018, there is a provision of earning maximum profit of 30 percent at the production stage and 20 percent at the wholesale stage.
During the drive, Islam Traders was fined Tk 5 thousand and Madina Farms was fined Tk 10 thousand for not keeping purchase and sale receipts properly.
According to the information of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, the production cost of per watermelon (5-7 kg) is around Tk 35-40. Farmers are generally selling at Tk 85-100. The maximum price can be Tk 120 to 140 after adding transportation cost and other expenses.
When asked about this, Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman said, "Our strict vigilance continues in the market. We have already raided the wholesale markets of various products including sugar, rice, cardamom, semai, dates, watermelon.
Anti-adulteration drives are underway. Our magistrates regularly visiting the markets.