When the thousands of farmers were in the mercy of a few numbers of brokers and middlemen at Bhatai Bazar weekly market in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah, a Weighbridge scale had changed their luck. It has been saving their crop from the slap of the so called brokers, said the farmers.
Farmer Bidhan Biswas of nearby Putimari village when contacted at Bhatai Bazar weekly market said the brokers had been taking 42 to 43 kilograms for each 40 kilogram weight of paddy, jute, vegetables or other crops. If they had protested the overweight, the brokers abused them about it.
Now they have been measuring the weight with way bridge scale at local market, the brokers of middlemen were not in a position to take excessive goods in weight. Here they can save a portion of their crops from the sap of the dishonest traders involved in purchasing the same.
Bhatai Bazar Hatmalik samity toll collector Faruq Hossain when contacted said earlier most of the farmers were deprived of fair prices as the traders or brokers were taking away additional quantity of crops during measurement. Now the farmers bring the crops after weighting the same in way scale set up in the middle of the market. The way bridge scale owned by Saidur Rahman has been playing role to stand by the deprived farmers,
Way scale owner Saidur Rahman of Bharai Bazer when contacted said he was very concern to him when he had been witnessing that hundreds of farmers were cheated everyday by the brokers and middlemen as they were taking excessive crops during measurement for ordinary or traditional balance used for decades together. Now the brokers or purchasing traders cannot take it excessive without consent of the farmers. Here the farmers are somehow saved from the slap of theft in the market. It has been helping them saving their crops and to build their socio-economic state partially.
In an interview with the Roving Correspondent of Bangladesh Post on Sunday afternoon, the way bridge scale introducer Saidur Rahman said he had set up the second scale at Royerah Bazar, about six kilometres east from Shailkupa upazila headquarters a few months back.
He is going to set the third one at Hatfazilpur Bazer, one of the most important weekly markets in the district by June this year. The way bridge scale will help save the farmers during measurement in the open market, Saidur Rahman informed.
Upazila agriculture officer in Shailkupa Anisuzzaman Khan when contacted said the way bridge scale installed by Saidur Rahman has been saving the innocent farmers from the slap of dishonest traders as they were taking away additional crops during measurement in traditional balance themselves. Now the farmers have been measuring the weight with modern machine, which is safe and profitable for them, UAO said.