Finance
Chilli Farming Chilli farmers facing loss despite good yield
Dhaka, June 18: Due to the favorable weather, farmers in Nilphamari had a very good yield of chillies this time. On this occasion, the foragers are buying raw chillies from the farmers at five takas per kg and selling them at 10-12 takas to the storekeepers of the big markets. Retailers are selling from him 20-25 takas per kg. As a result, the chilli farmers have suffered extreme losses even though the wholesalers have benefited. In anger, farmers have vowed to never farm chillies again.
On Wednesday (June 16) and Thursday (June 17), farmers sold pepper at Tk 5 per kg at Bara Bazar, Kitchen Market, Domar's Matakpur Bazar, Panga Chowpatir Bazar and Dimla Bazar in the district town.
Retailers in big markets and kitchen markets said, "The chilli season is almost over. Due to low yield of chillies in the monsoon, the price has gone up by Tk 8-10 per kg in the retail market. We are selling at Tk 25 per kg. We bought one maund (40 kgs Approx) at wholesale for Tk 450."
Farmers complained that many farmers did not pick chillies from the fields as the cost of planting did not rise at the beginning of the season. Chillies are wasted in the field. Many people are not picking chillies for fear of losses.
According to the district agriculture extension department, the agriculture department has set a target of cultivating chilli in 1,775 hectares of land this season. However, the amount of land acquired is 1,800 hectares. Chillies have been cultivated in 25 hectares of land. Chillies have been cultivated in 290 hectares in Sadar, 25 hectares in Syedpur, 780 hectares in Domar, 540 hectares in Dimla, 80 hectares in Jaldhaka and 85 hectares in Kishoreganj.
Raw chillies is being sold at Tk 20-25 per kg in the Kitchen Market. It is being sold in the wholesale market for Tk 10-12.
