The farmers are selling the patol at just 13 to 15 taka per kg at Bidirpur Hat in Mohanpur Upazila of Rajshahi, but the same patol is being sold at 25 to 30 taka per kg once it reaches Rajshahi city, which is just 15 kilometers away. The price of patol is almost doubling after covering such a distance. Although the farmers are deprived of fair price, the consumers are having to pay extra. The question arises, whose pocket is this extra money going to?
Last Wednesday, visiting Bidirpur Hat in Mohanpur Upazila, it was seen that there, per maund (45 kg) of Patol was being sold for 600 to 700 taka. Accordingly, the price per kg stood at 13 to 15 taka. But when it reached Rajshahi city, it became 25-30 taka on the same day. Yesterday, Friday, it was sold for 30-35 taka. Although, the price per maund has increased by 1-2 taka in the last two days.
“Farmer Julhas Uddin, who came to sell potal at Bidirpur market, said, ‘The price of fertilizers and pesticides is exorbitant. As a result, the cost of potal cultivation has increased. So, there is not much profit in selling potal at this price. But once the potal becomes mature, it cannot be kept in the field. It rots. So, no matter the price, we have to sell it. A few days ago, I was forced to sell a maund for two hundred to three hundred taka. Now, the price has also increased due to the rain.”
He said that they were forced to sell the vegetables at the market because they did not have the opportunity to store them.
On the other hand, when visiting various raw markets in Rajshahi city, it was seen that the same quality of patol was being sold at Tk 30 to 35 per kg on Friday. Although the distance from Bidirpur Hat to the city is only 15 kilometers, the price has almost doubled after covering this short distance.
Bidirpur Hat is one of the largest vegetable markets in the Rajshahi region. This market, which is held twice a week, sells hundreds of tons of Patal. Patal is supplied from here to various districts of the country besides Rajshahi.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Friday, at the large Taherpur Hat in Bagmara Upazila of Rajshahi, Patol was sold for 800 to 900 taka per maund (45 kg). That is, farmers there received 17 to 20 taka per kg. But yesterday, the same Patol was sold at 40 to 50 taka per kg in various markets in Dhaka. That is, the price has more than doubled from the production area to the capital’s market.
Kazem Ali, a wholesale trader at Taherpur Hat, said, “There are significant costs involved in transporting potol from Rajshahi to Dhaka. It costs around Tk 50,000 to transport a truck of potol to Dhaka, including car hire, porters, loading and unloading, tolls, etc. After bearing these costs, a shipment makes a profit of Tk 10,000 to 20,000, and sometimes there is a loss. However, the middlemen and retailers never lose money. The loss is the farmers’ or wholesalers’.”
Another trader named Monirul Islam said that wholesalers usually take 1 to 2 percent commission on sales. On the other hand, retailers keep a profit of Tk 10 to 15 per kg, regardless of the purchase price. As a result, the price increases at each stage, and in the end, the Tk 20 pot goes to the buyer and becomes Tk 50.
Soleman Hossain, a farmer who comes to sell potol at Taherpur market, complains that although they bear the risk and labor of production, they are the ones who get the least benefit from the price increase. On the other hand, buyers are also being forced to pay higher prices. This deprives farmers on one hand, and consumers on the other hand are also being harmed.