The contribution of Dinajpur district in the national food production is very significant. This time in Dinajpur district 1102 hectares of land has been cultivated tomato. Among the tomato varieties, Vipul, Rani, Roma V, F (Provesif) are being cultivated more. According to the data of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, the production target has been fixed at 49.90 tonnes per hectare. That is, 55 thousand metric tons of tomatoes will be produced in Dinajpur district.
This year, 790 hectares of tomato has been cultivated in Sadar Upazila of the district. If there is no rain, the tomato production market will end in 30 to 40 days. Among these, the majority of tomato cultivation has been done in Sheikhpura No. 4 Union of Sadar Upazila. At present, 500 hectares of tomato cultivation has been done in this union. A tomato market has been established at Gopalpurhat in Sadar Upazila. Farmers from different parts of the district bring the produced tomatoes to the market early in the morning. Cars carrying tomato sarees are waiting on the road. Traders collect their choice of tomatoes.
There is a big wholesale market of tomatoes sitting on the other side of the Purnabhaba river bridge. The market is known as Gopapurhat not only in Dinajpur district, but in the entire district of the country. Every day 40-50 trucks of goods are transported from this market to different districts of the country. Traders from different districts of the country have come here.
Businessman Delwar Matbar said, I have come from Dhaka like every year. We send 2 to 3 trucks of goods to Dhaka every day. Each truck is loaded with 450 to 500 carats of tomatoes. It costs 100 taka to send each tomato crate to Dhaka. Cost per crate goes up due to higher car fare.
Another Shariatpur businessman Ripon said, the market environment here is good. There is no shortage of workers. We are not having any problem. Tomato quality is good.
Farmers said that it costs 40-50 thousand rupees to produce tomatoes on one bigha of land. 250-300 tomatoes are produced per harvest. It costs 300-350 rupees to make one bushel of tomatoes suitable for sale. Currently, tomatoes are being sold at Tk 650-750 depending on the quality.
In the tomato market, it has been seen that farmers are being deprived of fair prices due to the fact that more tomatoes are being imported than the demand and the middlemen are their own syndicates. Sometimes tomatoes are sold at high market prices and sometimes at low market prices.
Farmers say, if the produced tomatoes can be kept in the cold storage, such effect of the market will be reduced. The market can be kept under control. Farmers will get fair price and also farmers will be encouraged to produce tomatoes.
Mominul Islam, Chairman of No. 4 Sheikhpura Union, said that on an average, 550 to 600 tons of tomatoes are going to different districts of the country every day. With the help of the district administration, there is a
beautiful atmosphere in the tomato market here.
Traders are coming from different parts of the country, there is a lack of space in tomato market expansion. Regarding the expansion of the market, he said that if there is a better cold storage facility, the market price will be stable, then the farmers will get a fair price and the market will expand. This will cause unemployment.
Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Sheikhpura Union Mostakin said that compared to the demand, farmers are currently supplying enough tomatoes to the market and farmers are getting fair prices. Day by day the price of tomato is increasing in the market.