Farmers not getting fair price of watermelon for middlemen

Kalapara farmers are not getting fair price of watermelon.

Patuakhali: Despite the good yield of watermelon in Patuakhali's Kalapara, the farmers are not getting the desired price of watermelon due to tyranny of the middlemen. After the introduction of watermelon in the market, the upper class could buy watermelon, but most of the middle class and lower classes could not taste watermelon because of the high price. At the field level, the farmers are selling watermelons from the field as pieces but the tyranny of the middlemen; the buyers have to buy the watermelons at kg rates. The watermelons which are bought in the market for Tk 200 to Tk 400 by the common buyers, the wholesalers bought the same watermelon from the farmers for Tk 50 to Tk 100 only. Then the middlemen reach the market with more additional cost added to it. Common buyers are paying the price. 

Farmer Md. Russell Akon of Khanjura village in Kuakata has cultivated watermelon in about 18 acres of land. He spent about 15 lakh taka on watermelon cultivation. So far he has managed to sell 23 lakh taka. He sold 100 pieces of watermelon weighing 3 to 5 kg for 10 to 15 thousand taka. He sold large size watermelons at a maximum price of 200 to 250 taka. 

Belal Hossain, another watermelon grower of Khanjura village in Kuakata said, we sell watermelons as pieces from the field. But I don't know how it is sold as kg in the city. Even though we work tirelessly in the sun, we do not get the desired price due to the tyranny of the middlemen. 

Monir Hossain, a farmer of Alipur in the upazila, cultivated watermelon on 25 acres of land this year. He also sold the entire field as a piece. He sold the entire field for 35 lakh taka after spending about 30 lakh taka under the influence of the middlemen. 

Watermelon wholesaler Md. Sajib, who came to buy watermelons from the field, said, 'We sell watermelons as pieces. Watermelon prices were high at the beginning of the season and I was able to make a small profit by buying watermelons. Currently, the price of watermelon has decreased as watermelons from all over the country have started coming to the market. He said that the price of watermelon will decrease further in the future. 

Kalapara Upazila Agriculture Officer Arafat Hossain said that this year watermelon cultivation has been done on 1323 hectares of land in Kalapara Upazila. About 42,400 metric tons of watermelons have been produced in different areas of Lalua, Kuakata, Mithaganj, Baliatali, Champapur and Nilganj Union of the upazila due to suitable weather conditions and sandy soil. - Gofran Biswas Palash