Chilli farmers face of losses as price fall

Local pepper farmers are facing losses due to the fall in the price of green chillies in the wholesale market in Nilphamari. Bulu Mia and Ilias Ali, retailers at the district town’s Boro Bazar and Kichen Market said, the pepper season is almost over. Due to low yield of chillies in the monsoon, the retail price has gone up by Tk 5 to 6 per kg. Depending on the type of pepper is being sold at 450-500 taka per 40kg.

Meanwhile, pepper growers complain that many growers are wasting peppers in the field as they do not raise the cost of planting at the beginning of the season. So the pepper farmers are facing losses.

According to the Krishi Somprosaron Odhidoptor, this time the agriculture department has entered the field with the target of cultivating chilli in 1,065 hectares of land in the Rabi season. However, the amount of land acquired is 1,800 hectares more than the target. In this, additional pepper has been planted in 25 hectares of land.

The amount of land acquired in the upazila is 290 hectares in Nilphamari Sadar, 25 hectares in Syedpur, 60 hectares in Domar, 540 hectares in Dimla, 60 hectares in Jaldhaka and 75 hectares in Kishoreganj.

It can be seen that the chilli warehouse and retail market of Kitchen Market in the district town are being sold at Tk 18-20 per kg in the retail market but at the wholesale market at Tk 10-12 per kg.

Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Kamrul Hasan said, that this time the bumper crop of chillies was harvested due to favorable weather but the farmers were facing losses as they did not get a fair price at the field level. He said, it is being suggested to pepper the trees as a way to offset the damage.

Rahidul Islam, a pepper farmer from Panga village in Matakpur union of Domar upazila of the district, said, "I have planted pepper in one bigha of land this time. Although the yield is good, there is no price in the market. And the wholesalers and retailers are getting double profit by buying that pepper. Then what is the benefit of having land. I dropped the pepper. The cost of selling pepper does not go up. There is also a van rental. I am thinking of cultivating another crop (maize) in the future.”

It can be seen in the market of Panga Chaupati, the main pepper of the upazila, that men and women from different parts of the union are sitting in rows and rows of chilli posara. Depending on the variety, 40 kg of hybrids are being sold here at Rs 250-300, point chillies at Rs 285-350 and cumin at Rs 400-450. The minimum market price is 5-12 taka per kg.

Bablur Rahman, a pepper farmer from Khagakharibari village in Khagakharibari union of Dimla upazila said, that despite the bumper yield of pepper, the market price is very bad this time. He said, the cost per bigha including medicine, plow, irrigation, fertilizer, saplings, labor and transportation cost is 12-15 thousand taka. If it is 10 taka per kg, the price of 40kg is 400 taka. 

Rostam Ali, a pepper farmer from the same area said, “the local pepper market was good last year. 40kg was sold up to 3 thousand taka. This time a maximum of one and a half thousand taka was sold at the beginning. Then the price went down to 300 taka. I am thinking of cultivating boro, jute and maize in future as I have been affected by pepper cultivation time and time again.”

Shafiqul Islam (30), who came to sell chillies in the market, said that he could not get the price by planting chillies. And the wholesale and retail traders of the market get double profit. Income in Corona is low, there is no price for crops. There is no way but to die day by day. Poor people are completely lost in the prices of rice, pulses and soybeans. If you want to buy one kg of Hamak rice, you have to sell 10 kg of pepper. He demanded incentives for pepper cultivation.”

Nilphamari big market storekeeper and wholesaler Nuru Islam said, “Bogra, Pabna and Kushtia are getting chilli now. That is why the market here has been affected. Pepper is available at three or four taka per kg. However, if it rains, the market price will go up.”

Haat leaseholder Shafiqul Islam said the bumper crop of chillies has been harvested this time due to favorable weather. Apart from this, the market in Kushtia, Pabna and Bogra has gone up due to which the market is going down. Farmers are having to count the losses as they did not get a fair price in the market this time than last time.

Deputy Director of the Krishi Somprosaron Odhidoptor Abu Bakkar Siddique said, the bumper crop of chillies has been harvested, but the farmers are not getting a fair price. It takes a lot of manpower and a lot of money to break the pepper. That is why we are advising the farmers to grow chillies in their land. In this, both profit and demand are more in the market. Hopefully, the affected farmers will benefit by selling dried chillies.