Flower growers in trouble as prices fall due to blockade
Hundreds of flower growers in the district are now worried about the recovery of their production cost, let alone profit, as prices of the perishable item see drastic fall due to transport problem amid the countrywide blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Visiting Baliadanga flower market in Kaliganj upazila of the district on Sunday, this correspondent saw a good number of flower growers and sellers passing idle time as there are only a few wholesale flower buyers and they too are purchasing less than before in fear of loss due to the political agitation.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Around 2700 farmers of Jhenidah district cultivated flower on 265 hectares of land this year, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
"Flower cultivation on 10 decimals of land brought me profit of Tk 60 thousand last year. With the hope of getting more profit I cultivated flower on one bigha this year but now I am facing loss due to the blockade," said Rabin Kumar, 70, of Baliadanga village.
"Early this season I sold flower for Tk 180/200 per jhopa (comprising 800 flowers). But now the price has fallen to Tk 30/40. It costs around Tk 40 to prepare a jhopa," he said.
Abdul Aziz, a flower grower of Chakla village, said he got profit of Tk 40 thousand last year but this season he would incur loss if the blockade continues.
Many other flower growers expressed similar opinion.
Flower trader Hashem Ali and Shamim Hossain said they purchased a jhopa for Tk 180/200 before the blockade but now they are buying the same for Tk 30/40 as the business suffers a setback due to the transport problem.
Akramul Haque, deputy director of DAE in Jhenidah, said the countrywide blockade is badly affecting flower business in the district.
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