Early winter vegetables raise profit hopes for Naogaon farmers as market prices start to fall

Fields across Naogaon have turned green with the first signs of winter. Rows of cauliflower and cabbage seedlings stand in some plots, bean vines climb trellises in others, and farmers are busy tending eggplant, radish, spinach and other winter vegetables. Many planted early to catch the market at the start of the season, and the new produce has already begun reaching local markets.

Activity around early winter vegetables now fills this agriculture-based district. Farmers are spending busy days preparing land, sowing seed, applying fertiliser and irrigation, clearing weeds and controlling pests and disease. They hope a good harvest and favourable prices will leave them a decent profit after production costs. At the same time, they remain worried about adverse weather, insect attacks and rising cultivation costs.

Saidul Islam, a farmer from the Barshail area of Naogaon Sadar upazila, has grown cabbage on one bigha of land. He said his total production cost, including fertiliser, seed, labour wages, pesticide and weeding, came to about Tk 45,000. He has already sold cabbage worth about Tk 30,000, and if current market prices hold, he expects to sell about Tk 120,000 worth of cabbage from the plot.

Munsur Islam, a farmer from Kasba village in the same upazila, has grown early winter beans on one bigha of land. He said bean cultivation on his plot, where one bigha equals 33 decimals, cost about Tk 30,000. He has already sold some of the beans and expects total sales of Tk 50,000 to 60,000 if current prices continue.

Against the farmers’ profit expectations, buyers in the market have somewhat different hopes. As supplies of early winter vegetables have started to rise, prices of several vegetables have fallen in markets across Naogaon. Traders say the price of some vegetables has dropped by nearly half within a week.

A visit to markets in the town found green chillies selling at Tk 80 per kg, eggplant at Tk 70, bitter gourd at Tk 60, cauliflower at Tk 80, pointed gourd at Tk 40, beans at Tk 120, radish at Tk 40, ridge gourd at Tk 40, long beans at Tk 60 and cucumber at Tk 60 per kg. Each bottle gourd was selling for Tk 40 to 45.

Jamilur Rahman and Parvin Akter, who came to buy vegetables at the municipal raw market, said prices of various vegetables were comparatively higher only a few days ago. The recent fall in some prices has brought a little relief, but current prices still do not fully match the means of ordinary and low-income people. They expect prices to fall further as more produce reaches the market.

Retail vegetable seller Firoz Hossain said prices of many vegetables were much higher even a week ago, when some items sold at nearly double their current price. With supplies up, prices have fallen by Tk 10 to 15 per kg depending on the vegetable, and he believes prices may drop further as more vegetables arrive.

Wholesaler Milan Hossain said they collect vegetables directly from farmers and sell them to retailers. He claimed wholesale supplies are priced Tk 10 to 15 per kg lower than retail market rates. More vegetables will reach the market in the coming days, so prices may fall further as supply increases.

Md Monjur Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Naogaon, said farmers are being given necessary advice and support for early winter vegetable cultivation, including guidance on proper care, pest and disease control and modern farming methods at field level. Farmers are currently getting good prices and are expected to earn a good profit after production costs. He added that early winter vegetables are being cultivated on about 3,350 hectares of land in Naogaon this season.