By: Md. Amdad Hossain Bhuiyan
Just a few days ago, farmers were delighted to see fresh tomatoes hanging from the plants. They had hoped for financial stability from a good harvest. But now, farmers have lost interest in harvesting these tomatoes, leaving the hard-earned crops to rot in the fields.
This has left farmers in Kamalganj, Moulvibazar, in a state of despair. Despite being known as the agricultural hub of the district, the area lacks any cold storage facilities for preserving vegetables. As a result, farmers are suffering financial losses and losing enthusiasm for crop production. They are compelled to sell their harvests at throwaway prices as soon as they are picked, fearing the crops might rot otherwise.
According to the Kamalganj Upazila Agriculture Office, summer tomatoes have been cultivated on approximately 35 hectares of land in villages like Alinagar, Adampur, Madhabpur, Tilakpur, Jamirkona, Homarjan, Patrakhola, Katabil, Najatkona, Dholai Par, Narendra Pur, Adampur, and Islampur under the Alinagar, Adampur, and Sadar Unions, as well as other areas of the municipality. Some farmers also grow tomatoes year-round using the grafting method.
Local farmers said that a lot of produce still remains in the fields. However, due to the drop in market prices, they cannot even cover the costs of labor and transportation. As a result, the hard-earned tomatoes are rotting in the fields. They also demanded the establishment of cold storage facilities for vegetable preservation.
Sufian Ahmed, a tomato farmer from Madhabpur, said, “After harvesting the tomatoes, paying laborers, and transporting them to the market, we end up selling them for just 3 to 4 Taka per kilogram. The costs are higher than the earnings, so I don’t bother harvesting anymore. All the tomatoes are rotting in the fields.”
Farmer Kamal Mia added, “Earlier, traders from different areas would come to the fields to buy tomatoes. But now, no one is coming. The expenses are much higher than the earnings. So, I’ve lost interest in harvesting, and the tomatoes are just rotting in the fields.”
Vegetable farmer Saimun from Kamalganj Sadar Union said, “Local traders buy produce from us at low prices and sell it at higher prices in different parts of the country. This doesn’t benefit us farmers at all. To improve our conditions, we have been demanding the establishment of a cold storage facility in this area for a long time, but no one is fulfilling this promise.”
Local trader Md. Sharif Uddin said, “For the past month, tomatoes have been sold at wholesale prices ranging from 8 to 10 Taka per kilogram. But since last week, the price has dropped to 3 to 4 Taka. The market price of tomatoes has fallen so much that farmers have lost interest in harvesting their crops. Many still have tomatoes left in their fields.”
Upazila Agriculture Officer Jayanta Kumar Roy said, “Farmers who cultivated early tomatoes received good prices. Those who will plant tomatoes now will also get better prices if the weather remains favorable.”
Regarding the establishment of a cold storage facility in Kamalganj, Upazila Executive Officer Makhan Chandra Sutradhar said, “We have informed higher authorities about the need to preserve the farmers’ hard-earned crops. Hopefully, a cold storage facility will be established soon.”
