Local farmers in Jamalpur's char areas, who cultivated green chili this season, have demanded that the government provide no-interest loans for farming to continue production without a financial crisis.
In the current season, there has been a huge yield of chili in various grazing areas of the district. But the farmers are displeased as production cost has increased and the price has gone down.
Officials at the district's Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) say farmers are getting good yields this year due to favorable weather conditions. Besides, the accumulation of silt in the Jamuna riverine area during the last flood has helped in the bumper production of chili.
Farmers say they have experienced an unexpected increase in transport fares and prices of fertilizers and pesticides compared to the previous years. They have also complained of a shortage of fertilizers. But the low price of green chili at the wholesale market has frustrated them.
At this time, the farmers are also busy taking care of the fields and collecting green chili.
Production exceeds target
During a visit to various areas of the district, it was found that the farmers of 200 villages cultivated chili in the grazing areas.
The areas include Naovhangar Char, Benuar Char, Char Adra, Jamira, Hajipur, Chhataria, Manikpatal, Adarvita, Kulkandi, Hajipur, Hazrabari, Shidhuli, Rouha, Batikamari, Shyampur, Haripur, Mallikpur, Chanderhowra, Tupkar Char.
Zakia Sultana, DAE deputy director in Jamalpur, said that about 22,000 farmers of the district cultivated chili on some 9,000 hectares of land against a target of 8,050 hectares.
Dhaka TribuneShe assumed that the farmers would be able to harvest 40 maunds per bigha, or about 18,515 tons.
Melandah Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al Faisal said several farmers in the five char areas of Jhaugara Union cultivated chili on about 1,200 hectares of land, whereas the target was 1,000 hectares.
But the price of chili at the markets of Aramnagar, Adra, Baushi, Hazrabari, Hajipur, Shyampur and Kalibari was only Tk1,200-1,300 per maund, farmers say, expressing frustration.
Barek Mandal of Melandha said: “I've cultivated hybrid chillies on three bigha land at the cost of Tk60,000 and harvested 50 maunds of green chilis. But I had to sell the chilis at Tk50,000 only.”
Ramzan Ali, a farmer from Satpoa village under Sarishabari Upazila said he had cultivated chilis on seven bigha land. “Although I spent Tk1,70,000 on cultivation, I sold the chilis at Tk1,40,000 in the market.”
He added that if the market price did not increase, it would be challenging to meet the cost of cultivation, and the farmers would look for a profitable alternative crop in the next season.