Early vegetables on Bhola's chars: Tk 17 lakh lost to a cyclone, and replanting brought no profit
A farmer in Daulatkhan, Bhola, grew early vegetables on 7.5 acres and lost about Tk 17 lakh when Cyclone Midhili brought tides and rain. Replanting set him back about a month and a half, prices fell, and sales only covered harvesting and carrying costs.
On Bhola's Meghna and Tentulia riverbanks and newly risen chars, farmers raise early vegetables. In September they build earth embankments around plots and plant bottle gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, capsicum, tomato, cucumber and more. One farmer in Madanpur union, Daulatkhan, planted early vegetables on 7.5 acres this year. Just as the plants flowered and fruited, tides and heavy rain from Cyclone Midhili in November destroyed most of the crop, costing him about Tk 17 lakh. After the weather cleared he sowed again and had to bring seedlings from other districts. The second crop of capsicum, ridge gourd and sponge gourd began fruiting about a month and a half late, and the early prices were gone. Now selling the harvest only covers harvesting and carrying costs, with no profit. In the same report another farmer says he paid Tk 6,000-10,000 more per kg of seed than last year yet got one-third of last year's yield. Sending vegetables to Dhaka costs Tk 600-650 per 100 kg sack, harvest labour is Tk 800-1,000 a day, and the person who travels with the load costs Tk 2,000. Another farmer lost Tk 5 lakh in the storm and says nobody checks on them or lends.
Lessons
- 1.Early vegetables on chars carry big storm and rain risk; replanting is late and prices drop, so keep a separate reserve for losses.
- 2.Count transport to Dhaka, labour and the escort's cost up front; when prices fall these costs eat the profit.
- 3.Agriculture officers point to canals to drain rainwater; arrange field drainage first where possible.
We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.
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