The country’s vegetable growers are facing huge losses due to the countrywide shutdown to thwart the coronavirus spread. Owing to decreasing demand for fresh vegetables across the country, farmers are not getting the right price for their vegetables, and eventually cannot sell it in kitchen markets, sources said.
Billal, a farmer, who cultivates ladies' fingers, asparagus beans, red spinach and Malabar spinach on 45 decimal lands in Narayanganj's Sonargaon area used to sell his vegetables directly at a kitchen market in the capital's Jatrabari area in previous years. “If I cannot sell my vegetables it will be wasted. Let alone the Jatrabari market, I cannot even sell my vegetables at the local market now,” he said.
Visiting different spots, our correspondent found vegetable traders at different kitchen markets selling vegetables at prices three to five times lower than those two months ago. Per kg tomato sold at Tk 10, ladies' finger, Tk 15-Tk 20, snake gourd, Tk 10-Tk 20 and brinjal at Tk 10- Tk 15.
Mahbub Hasan Sarbon, a buyer, who visited Mugda Kitchen Market, said, “People nowadays are visiting kitchen markets less often for fear of coronavirus infection. Besides, many are prone to buying dry foods and slow perishable items. "That is why the demand for vegetables is downward," he added.
Vegetable farmers are bearing the brunt of this situation that is so bad that in some cases farmers were also seen not plucking their vegetables and letting those rot in the fields. In Pabna, the situation of vegetable farmers is so bad that some broke down in tears, reported our Pabna district correspondent.
In Pabna, most of the vegetables are being sold at Tk 10 per kg. The situation in the other districts is the same. Titu Mia, a farmer in Noapara upazila of Jashore, said, "We are incurring a loss of Tk 25 on each kg of Potol [pointed gourd]. We used to sell those at Tk 40 per kg, but now we are barely able to sell it at Tk 10 per kg."
Siraj, another farmer in the district, said if the loss continued they would not be able to cultivate vegetables next season. Agriculture Secretary, Md Nasiruzzaman told Bangladesh Post, “Now it is the lean period of vegetables. Most of the winter vegetables have just crossed the season. Despite low prices, farmers are being forced to bring their remaining vegetables in the market, otherwise it will ripen and rot in their fields.”
He also said, “The consumption by the people has also decreased due to coronavirus as they are staying in their home. It is also a reason for the decreasing demand of vegetables.” About the transportation and marketing, the secretary said, “There is no restriction in transportation, marketing and distribution of vegetables in the country. Like in villages, you will see that the same thing happens in the capital’s different markets including Karwan Bazar. There is an abundant supply of vegetables, but less number of buyers.”
About vegetable export, Nasiruzzaman said, “Except for emergencies, all types of transportation crossing international borders remains off due to the coronavirus situation. Therefore, vegetable export remains closed.” Before the coronavirus situation, the country's vegetable exports showed strong performance in the first half of the current fiscal year 2019-2020.
Bangladesh exported more than 70 varieties of vegetables to 53 countries this fiscal year. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and UK were the leading importers, according to Bangladesh Fruit, Vegetable and Allied Products Exporters' Association (BFVAPEA).
A leap in cabbage, bean, brinjal, pointed gourd and potato exports contributed mostly to fetching US$128 million in the first six months of FY'20, about 117 per cent growth compared to that of the previous fiscal year, according to the state-run Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data. Overall export of vegetables was worth $100 million in the FY '19.