Betel leaf farmers in Raipur, Lakshmipur, are in trouble because prices have fallen even though production has risen. Betel leaf that sold for Tk 120 last year must be sold for only Tk 40 this year. Production is up and the markets are busy, but without the price they expected, farmers fear a loss instead of a profit.
About Tk 20 lakh worth of betel leaf changes hands every day at Haidarganj bazar in Raipur. Farmers from different areas bring their leaf to the market from midnight; trading starts at dawn and continues through the morning. Besides meeting local demand, betel leaf from this market goes to Hatiya, Chattogram, Feni, Dhaka and other parts of the country.
Farmer Shahed Majhi, who came to sell at the market, was frustrated. “I have brought so much betel leaf, and selling it won’t even cover the cost of the bullock,” he said. His words show the plight of farmers whose selling price is below their production cost.
Farmers say production rose this year because outbreaks of disease were relatively few. But prices have not risen with production, so they are not getting the income they expected, and they fear it may even be hard to recover their costs.
Betel farmer Barek Uddin said that, like Shyambazar and Chandpur, Haidarganj bazar in Raipur sees betel leaf traded on a large scale, with traders coming from different parts of the country to buy.
Raipur’s main betel trading centres include Natun Bazar Panhata, Haidarganj bazar and Camper Hat. The economic activity of betel farmers and traders has grown up around these markets over many years, and betel leaf is supplied from here to various parts of the country.
According to those involved, despite higher production and regular trading, low prices put farmers at risk of financial hardship. Farmers would benefit if a fair price in line with production costs could be ensured, and the region’s betel-based economy would become more dynamic.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report