People tend to have pure and unadulterated foods. When it comes to vegetables, they want them garden-fresh. To meet the need of both the growers and consumers, Farmer’s Market started its journey in the capital at the end of 2019, where vegetables and fruits brought straight from the fields across the country are sold in an open market by growers themselves.
Along with many economic zones and shops, the number of consumers in the Farmers’ Market near the National Parliament Building is on the rise with the pandemic-hit period easing.
Fresh vegetables brought straight from the fields are sold here by farmers themselves which have a special appeal to the consumers as they tend to have pure and unadulterated foods.
Awarded in 2018 for best vegetable grower, National Farmer Md. Abdul Basir started selling his harvest at Farmers’ Market in early 2020, coming all the way from Madhabpur of Habiganj. He is seen with his stocks of vegetables including tomato, bean, chili and papaya on Friday and Saturday, as the market functions for these two days a week.
He has built affinity with customers who seek his vegetables, whenever they come shopping. Basir has established a reputation of organic grown and fresh vegetables, being happy with the environment and market price compared to the other markets where he delivers his crops.
Inaugurated by Mohammad AbdurRazzak, Minister of Agriculture, Farmers’ Market started its journey from December 6, 2019 on the premises of SechBhaban at Manik Miah Avenue in the capital. The Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) under the Ministry of Agriculture is controlling all its operational activities.
As fresh vegetables and fruits have a special appeal to the consumers, many of them even from remote areas started thronging the place. But to the Covid pandemic, alongside many economic zones and market places, Farmers’ Market also lost its striking emergence.
After launch, Farmers’ Market started gaining popularity as it was promoted in some dailies and televisions. But it fell flat during the pandemic as the lockdown stuck everyone at home and consumers of this market could not come to shop from remote areas.
But this market did not stop operating, despite the critical situation everyone had to face at the peak of the pandemic. Now, customers from around and remote areas come here every week to seek fresh vegetables and local fruits, making the market even more resilient.
The number of customers drastically fell during the heavy hit of Covid-19, but the market is changing its outlook. From early 2021, vegetables worth around Tk 3 lakh have been sold here a week as customers throng.
“The authority assures that the vegetables sold here are grown by the respective farmers in their own land, so we keep out the worries of having the freshest,” said a regular consumer Kishore Kumar Shaha who comes all the way from Gopibag, Khilgaon to buy the fresh vegetables.
Farmers from Manikganj, Narsingdi and Munshiganj have transport facilities free of cost provided by the government to bring their commodities here.
The market had 15 registered farmers initially, but now it has extended to around 20 farmers who come here from different districts twice a week with fruits and vegetables straight from their fields.
Md. Moniruzzaman, a jute research official, a regular consumer at the market said, “Fresh and organic vegetables are brought here by several farmers. I come here twice every week as it’s a place close to my residence.” “The price may be a bit more than that at the other markets, but what I find here is not adulterated, and tastes a lot different.”
Sanowar Hossain, a grower from Saturia, Manikganj said, “The transport cost which is a huge impediment in the line of proper good delivery is reduced to zero, as the government provides specific transport for us. We are happy with the price and management.” However, he mentioned it would be better if the market operated more than twice a week.
Programme Director of DAM, Touhid Md. Rashed Khan was asked about the price issues. He said, “The vegetables brought here are of best quality seeds and breeds. Farmers grow these with proper farming, and it costs them more than the average crops.”
When asked whether the transport facility will be provided for each of the districts farmers come from, he said, “We are providing transport for the nearby districts. The department is planning to set this market up in every district and we are paving ways for the farmers to make themselves self sufficient.”
He further said that there’s a plan to pick a permanent place to set up the market permanently with more facilities.
