How green papayas go from Tk 7 to 25

How much does a kilo of green papaya from Manikganj's Singair upazila cost? Well, depending on whom you are buying from, the price can be anywhere from Tk 7 to Tk 25.

But why such a discrepancy?

Farmers sell these papayas to anyone willing to buy them for Tk 7 per kilo. However, when they reach the market at the capital's Kazipara, the price shoots up to Tk 25.

After the fruit changes hands three times during the 25-kilometre transit, the price triples and then some.

A recent investigation by The Daily Star found that the price skyrockets when papayas reach the hands of retail vendors.

Even five years ago, we did not need to make such a profit as daily expenses were not so high. But these days, even if I buy the papayas for Tk 2 per kilo, I will not be able to sell them for under Tk 15. My family solely depends on my income, and if I cannot earn Tk 1,000 a day, I will fail to put food on my table and ensure my children's schooling.

— Vendor Monir Hossain

According to the traders, after excluding all costs, they are forced to ensure higher profits, as recently, the cost of living has increased a tremendous amount.

The Daily Star on October 29 and 30, took a tour to investigate how the price of these green papayas increases as they change hands.

On October 29, 40-year-old Kazi Mubarak Hussain, a papaya cultivator of Singair's Char Nayadangi village, sold 3,300 kilos of green papayas for Tk 23,100 all at once at Char Nayadangi Bazar.

"After deducting transit and labour costs, I can take Tk 6.5 for a kilo," he said.

Mubarak has been cultivating green papayas for the past three years by leasing 3.5 bighas of land. To cultivate the recently sold green papayas on each bigha, he spent Tk 55,000 (including the lease amount of Tk 15,000).

He made a profit of Tk 1.5 lakh this year by selling per kilo of papayas for Tk 5 to Tk 45.

"Three months ago, I sold a kilo of papayas for Tk 10 to wholesalers. But after cyclone Sitrang, the price fell to Tk 5 per kilo, and then rose to Tk 7," he said.

Due to Sitrang, most of his papaya trees have been uprooted. However, he is hoping to make a profit of around Tk 70,000 in the coming year.

"Since production was good, we did not incur any loss," he said.

These correspondents also interviewed 38-year-old Jahangir Alam, a wholesaler who has been buying and selling green papayas for the past 10 years.

Currently, he buys green papayas from Char Nayadangi and sells them at Karwan Bazar.

On October 29, he bought 9,295 kg of green papayas from Char Nayadangi Bazar for Tk 65,065 (Tk 7 per kilo).

He claimed that before selling the fruit to a local wholesaler of Karwan Bazar at Tk 8.25 per kilo, he had to spend around Tk 9,000 for transport, measurements, jute sacks, hiring labourers, bribing traffic police, parking at Karwan Bazar, and food.

"I could only make around Tk 2,500 after selling all the green papayas," he said.

Fazal Miah, who bought the papayas from Jahangir, has been selling the fruit for the past 25 years. He mainly buys from Jashore, Chuadanga, Savar and Singair.

Fazal, after spending Tk 0.50 per kilo for transportation and labourers' wage, mixed the papayas from Singair with 200 sacks of Jashore and Chuadanga's papayas he bought earlier at Tk 7.50.

After keeping a profit of Tk 0.25 per kilo, he started selling those at Tk 8.50 to retail vendors in different areas of the city the next day (October 30).

"I have not seen such high production of green papayas for the past five to seven years," he said.

This newspaper found that street vendors at Mirpur's Kazipara were selling a kilo of green papayas bought from Karwan Bazar for Tk 25.

Vendor Monir Hossain said he bought 50 kilos of green papayas at Tk 8.50 per kilo. After accounting for transportation costs, he had to spend Tk 12.5 for each kilo.

"I have started selling the papayas for Tk 25 per kilo. Some will be sold at Tk 20, and some will remain unsold. So, on average, I'll be able to make a profit of Tk 10," he said.

Asked why he makes such a huge profit, Monir said he has to pay Tk 300 daily as "footpath tax", alongside monthly electricity bills and other expenses.

"I can make a profit of Tk 1,000 after selling 150 kg of vegetables," he said. "Fifty kilos of green papayas will only bring Tk 500 for my pocket."

"Even five years ago, we did not need to make such a profit as daily expenses were not so high. But these days, even if I buy the papayas for Tk 2 per kilo, I will not be able to sell them for under Tk 15," he explained.

"My family solely depends on my income, and if I cannot earn Tk 1,000 a day, I will fail to put food on my table and ensure my children's schooling," he added.

Contacted, Ghulam Rahman, president of Consumer Association Bangladesh (CAB), said, "These practices are common in the country, as consumers have never protested, making room for the traders' greed."

"CAB is active about such issues, but nothing fruitful can be achieved without protest and awareness on the consumers' part," he added.