Papaya farmers in Singair upazila of Manikganj are facing heavy losses despite a bumper harvest, as farm-level prices have fallen to just Tk2–3 per kilogram, leaving growers unable to recover their production costs.
With prices too low to cover labour and transport expenses, ripe papayas are being left on trees or allowed to rot on the ground. Some farmers have begun cutting down their trees, while others are demanding government incentives to offset their losses.
According to the Singair Upazila Agriculture Office, the cultivation target for the current season was set at around 900 hectares. Farmers planted several high-yielding varieties, including Shahi papaya.
Favourable weather has boosted production, but a simultaneous increase in market supply has driven down prices, leaving many growers reluctant to spend more on crop maintenance. Some are preparing to clear their fields for alternative crops.
Delwar Hossain, a farmer from Gopalnagar village, said he had spent around Tk40,000–50,000 cultivating papayas on two bighas of land. However, wholesale buyers were offering only Tk2–3 per kg at the farm-level.
“At this price, we cannot even cover labour costs and van fares,” he said, adding that he had little choice but to watch his papayas rot.
Saddam Hossain of Uttar Kanainagar village, who cultivated papayas on six bighas, said the price slump had left him in financial difficulty. He warned that he might have to cut down his trees if market conditions did not improve.
Sheikh Jahangir Alam and Sheikh Harun, two growers from Medulia village in Dhalla union, said they were struggling to recover their investment despite the bumper harvest.
They warned that continued losses could discourage papaya cultivation in the coming seasons and called for government incentives to compensate affected farmers.
Another farmer, Tajul Sikder, said he had already cut down papaya trees on two bighas after suffering losses at prevailing prices. He is now cultivating companion crops on the remaining one and a half bighas to offset some of the damage.
Growers said rising costs of fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, irrigation and labour had further squeezed their finances. They also alleged that fertilisers were often sold above government-fixed prices.
Farmers identified the lack of cold storage or other suitable preservation facilities as another major problem. Because papayas are highly perishable, they cannot hold back their produce when prices fall and sell it later at better rates.
They said adequate storage facilities could reduce wastage and financial losses, alongside immediate government support for affected growers.
Singair Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Kishore Ahmed said papaya cultivation had exceeded this year’s target, while favourable weather had contributed to higher yields.
He acknowledged that excess supply had temporarily depressed market prices, causing losses for farmers.
The government has plans to establish cold storage facilities for papaya preservation, he said.
However, he did not specify whether any government incentives would be provided to compensate affected growers.
