Habiganj’s Baniachong is buzzing with its traditional rice-seedling market as the planting season gets under way. Known locally as “jala,” the buying and selling of rice seedlings has brought the Chilapanja area of Ward 3 Southeast Union, on the Baniachong-Habiganj regional highway, to life every day from morning to afternoon. Farmers travel not just from within Baniachong but from various upazilas and remote areas across the district, bringing their own homegrown rice seedlings to this market. From morning, sellers set up with green seedlings of various varieties. Meanwhile, farmers from different areas crowd in to buy the seedlings they need for planting. As a result, Chilapanja stays lively all day with the calls of buyers and sellers. On-site visits show rows of neatly arranged rice seedlings. Some sellers are tying bundles, others are counting out seedlings to match buyers’ requests, while still others are haggling over prices. With seedling sales going well, relief and smiles are visible on many farmers’ faces. Seedling seller and farmer Taher Mia said growing rice seedlings takes a great deal of labor, from preparing the land to tending the seedlings throughout. Now, he said, he’s able to sell them well at the market, providing extra income alongside his farming work. Bad Ullah Mia, another seller who came from Lakhai, said farmers come from far and wide every day to buy seedlings. Sales have been quite good this time. Sometimes, seedlings brought in the morning are nearly all sold before afternoon arrives. Azizur Rahman, a farmer who came to buy seedlings, said not every farmer is able to grow seedlings on their own land. It also creates problems if seedlings can’t be grown in time. Here, farmers bring seedlings from various places, so buyers can choose and buy good seedlings according to their needs. Local farmers say this seedling market helps solve growers’ seedling-shortage problems during the Aman season, while also creating an extra income opportunity for the farmers who grow the seedlings. As a result, this seasonal agricultural trade is also playing a positive role in the local economy. Farmers say demand is higher for those who can produce good-quality, disease-free seedlings. Because of this, many farmers now see growing rice seedlings as an additional source of income. This daily “jala market” offers a distinctive picture of rural agricultural life. With green rice seedlings, farmers’ bustling activity, and buyers haggling over prices, the Chilapanja area comes alive from morning to afternoon. Local farmers and traders expect this brisk trade to continue throughout the rice season.
Traditional rice-seedling market, a gathering place for farmers
