Vegetable farmers at Dumuria allege price manipulation by syndicate

DUMURIA, KHULNA, Aug 16: Vegetable growers in Dumuria have alleged that a syndicate of wholesale traders is manipulating prices, forcing them to sell their produce at unfair rates despite months of hard work and investment.

Farmers said they spend three to four months cultivating bitter gourds, cucumbers, pumpkins and other vegetables, often investing significant amounts of money and labour. But after taking their produce to wholesale markets, they allegedly have little say over the prices.

According to the growers, traders often accept their vegetables in the morning without informing them of the price. After selling the produce throughout the day, some traders allegedly fix the price at night according to their convenience.

Farmers said prices are sometimes set at Tk 8, Tk 10 or Tk 12 per kilogram, leaving them with no option but to accept the rates.

They also alleged that vegetables bought from farmers at low prices are later sold to consumers at several times those rates. As a result, farmers fail to get fair prices while consumers have to pay higher prices, with middlemen allegedly taking a large share of the profit.

Dumuria Upazila Agricultural Marketing Officer Md Abdul Razzaq said fixing prices after accepting farmers' produce was illegal and unethical.

“Wholesale markets are required to determine prices openly at the beginning of the day through measures such as digital display boards and open auctions. We will strengthen monitoring and conduct drives at the markets to prevent farmers from being deprived,” he said.

Dumuria Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Nazmul Huda said local farmers supply a significant portion of vegetables to Khulna and other parts of the country.

He said authorities were planning to establish farmers' markets so growers could sell their produce directly and avoid middlemen.

Dumuria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sabita Sarkar said the administration had already received complaints about the alleged practice.

“Wholesale traders cannot arbitrarily determine the price of farmers' produce at night. We will conduct mobile courts and take legal action against syndicates and dishonest traders,” she said.

Farmers have urged the authorities to ensure transparent price-setting and fair prices for their produce, saying otherwise they will continue to bear the losses despite rising production costs.