Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Aug 14, 2026 (BSS)- Despite being massive production of vegetables the farmers of Dumuria upazila are deprived of fair prices of their produces as a syndicate controls the local marketing system.

The green fields of Dumuria are now full of bitter gourds, cucumbers, sweet pumpkins and other vegetables. But behind the impressive production lies the hardship of hundreds of farmers who have invested money and months of labour to grow the crops.

Farmers said they work for three to four months, often braving scorching heat, rain and storms, hoping to earn a fair price of their produces. But their main struggle begins after taking the vegetables to wholesale markets.

According to farmers, they deposit their vegetables at the arats (wholesale markets) in the morning without knowing the price at which their produce will be sold.

After selling the vegetables throughout the day, some traders allegedly sit together at night and fix prices according to their own interests.

The price is sometimes fixed at Taka 8 to 10 or 12 per kilogram, leaving farmers with little or no opportunity to negotiate, they alleged.

Talking to BSS on Friday a number of farmers said the whole sellers pay very low prices of their produces but sell those to consumers at several times higher prices.

As a result, farmers are deprived of fair price while consumers are forced to pay high price with middlemen and unscrupulous traders allegedly taking a major share of the profit.

Upazila Agricultural Marketing Officer Abdul Razzaq told BSS that fixing the price at night after taking the produce from farmers was illegal and unethical.

“Under the Agricultural Marketing Act, such practices constitute a serious offence. Prices should be determined at the beginning of the day through an open auction and displayed on digital boards,” he said.

He said special monitoring and drives would soon be strengthened at the wholesale markets in Dumuria to ensure that farmers know the price of their produce before selling it.

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

“We provide farmers with agricultural technologies and advice to ensure bumper production. But if they suffer due to syndicates during marketing, their enthusiasm for farming is undermined,” he said.

He said the agriculture department, in coordination with the agricultural marketing department and the upazila administration, was planning to establish a direct “farmers’ market” so that growers could sell their produce at better prices without depending on middlemen.

When contacted, Dumuria UNO Sabita Sarker said the administration had already received complaints regarding the practice.

Wholesalers cannot arbitrarily determine the price of farmers’ produce at night. Such a practice is nothing but cheating with farmers, she said.

She said mobile courts would soon be conducted at the markets and legal action would be taken against the syndicates and unscrupulous traders.

Farmers in Dumuria are demanding an immediate end to that exploitation and effective measures to ensure fair price of their produces.