Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A shutki drying yard owner at Nazirartek, Cox's Bazar, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingCox's Bazar
This Nazirartek drying yard produced about 500 metric tons last year and does not expect 200 this season. With no fish on the coast, about 600 of roughly 700 mahals have stopped production altogether.
A couple making balachao at home in Bashila, Dhaka, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingDhaka
Balachao made at home since 2021 costs 800-1,000 taka a kg to produce and sells at 1,200-1,600. Output is 15-20 kg a day, and monthly sales have risen from an average of 3 lakh taka last year to 6-7 lakh.
A honey producer in Ullapara, Sirajganj, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingSirajganj
In a normal week 150 boxes give 10 maunds - about 800 kg - of honey worth 130,000 taka. Fog and a minimum of 9 degrees kept the bees inside, knocking about 2,000 taka off boxes normally worth 10,000 each.
A commercial beekeeper in Sharsha, Jashore, in a Bangla Tribune report
Food processingJashore
Commercial beekeeping since 2007: around 250 boxes, about 2 kg of honey per colony every seven days, sold at 800-1,000 taka a kg, leaving 2.5 to 3 lakh taka a year after expenses.
A sugarcane grower and gur maker in Maulvibazar, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingMoulvibazar
Three kiyar of cane cost about 55,000 taka this season against 100,000 taka already sold and another 150,000 expected. Juice sells at 60 taka a litre, gur at 250 and lali at 220 - the problem is not price but finding anyone to cut the cane.
A sweet shop owner in Koyra, Khulna, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingKhulna
Cyclone Amphan on 20 May 2020 wrecked the shop and the house, and the Kopotakkho river later took the homestead. A 60,000-taka loan last year rebuilt a small sweet shop, against a 3,000-taka monthly instalment.
A peda, butter and ghee maker in Raozan, Chattogram, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingChattogram
12 kg of milk with 2.5 kg of sugar yields 4 kg 250 g of peda sold at 500 taka a kg; butter goes at 1,800 and ghee at 2,800, leaving 30,000-35,000 taka a month after costs.
A paneer manufacturer in Thakurgaon, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingThakurgaon
Paneer-making started in 2012 on 27 litres of milk a day now takes 2,200 litres daily at the main factory and 2,500 more across two others; over 100 workers earn 4,500-5,000 taka a month each and the owner clears 60,000-70,000.
A curd maker in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingCox's Bazar
A buffalo-curd business started with 130,000 taka now carries 10 lakh taka of capital. Four buffaloes bought two years ago for five lakh taka made it its own milk supplier, and 12-15 shops in the area move about 1,000 pots a day.
A mustard-oil ghani owner in Sunamganj, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingSunamganj
Mustard oil pressed on a horse-drawn wooden ghani: seed bought at 75-80 taka a kg, three to three and a half lakh taka of it a year, oil sold at 300-350 taka a kg, leaving 30,000-40,000 taka a month after costs.
A bhapa pitha seller in Sylhet, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingSylhet
Unable to fund restocking, he left the cloth trade for a bhapa pitha cart: 6-7 kg of rice flour a day, 25-26 pithas from each kilo at 10 taka each, and 500-600 taka left after expenses.
An online spice seller in Rangunia, Chattogram, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingChattogram
Spices sold online since 2020 on 8,000 taka of savings now bring about 100,000 taka a month, some 40 lakh taka in total sales and more than 500 regular customers - though every parcel has to be carried into Chattogram city because there is no courier locally.
