Bumper tomato harvest in Dinajpur, traders' smiles fade due to high transportation fares

Published: 23 April 2026 : Before the dawn breaks, a busy morning of red tomatoes begins along the banks of the Garbheshwari River in Dinajpur. As farmers crowd the Gabura market with cages full of tomatoes, the entire area instantly becomes a bustling center of a vibrant economy.

With the constant hustle and bustle of farmers and wholesalers and the constant rush of workers, this market in Dinajpur Sadar Upazila has now become not just a local market, but one of the largest agricultural product marketing centers in the northern region.

The numerous temporary stalls and small roadside stalls that have been set up along the Dinajpur-Chirirbandar road, stretching for about a kilometer to Mastan Bazar, prove how influential tomatoes are in the rural economy of this region. However, behind this busy schedule, a deep crisis is brewing; the scarcity of trucks carrying goods due to the fuel crisis and the exorbitant transport fares have now put the backs of traders against the wall.

Since early morning, some come to the market in vans, some on motorcycles, and some on their shoulders with the fresh produce of their fields. The bargaining begins as soon as they enter the market; the price is fixed based on the size, color, and quality of the tomatoes. This market is not only visited by local traders, but also by hundreds of wholesalers from different parts of the country, including Dhaka, Narayanganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Chandpur, Comilla, Feni, Cox's Bazar, and Chittagong. The warehouses now employ 10 to 30 workers, who are busy sorting, loading crates, and loading trucks. But the businessmen behind this massive operation are now facing significant financial risks.

Dabir Sardar, a wholesaler from Shariatpur, said in light of his long experience that farmers are mainly benefiting more this year. Highlighting the situation of traders, he said, "We are forced to buy products from here at comparatively higher prices, but we are not able to sell them at the expected prices in the Dhaka market. As a result, traders are not seeing the desired profit, but are facing losses in many cases." 

According to him, the transportation crisis has further complicated the situation. Due to the fuel crisis, goods vehicles are not easily available in the market, and the fares of those that are available are skyrocketing. This additional cost is creating a huge financial burden on the businessmen.

On the contrary, there is a tide of joy among the farmers at the field level. Nazmul Huda, a farmer from Nayanpur area of ​​Sadar Upazila, said that both the yield and price are satisfactory this year compared to last year. He said, 'Today I sold tomatoes for Tk 1,050 per maund.' Moazzem Hossain, a farmer from Chakar area, expressed a similar sentiment; he was able to sell his tomatoes for Tk 1,015 and expressed satisfaction with the current market price. Currently, Bipul Plus and Beauty varieties of tomatoes are being sold in the market for Tk 1,000 per maund and Ansal varieties of tomatoes are being sold for Tk 1,200 per maund.

Statistics from the agriculture department also show a huge potential for the tomato economy in the region. According to the district agricultural extension department, 36,018 metric tons of tomatoes were produced in 865 hectares of land in the district last fiscal year. This year, that area has increased to 1,108 hectares of land, where the production target has been set at 46,137 metric tons. 

Additional Director (Grains) of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md. Anisuzzaman said, 'The amount of cultivated land has increased this time due to regular advice and support to farmers at the field level. We expect an average production of 41.64 tons per hectare.' He further said that currently the crop harvesting activities are in full swing. Already, the harvesting of crops from about 900 hectares of land has been completed and the crops of the remaining land are being harvested from the fields step by step. Stating that the Agriculture Department is always by the side of the farmers, he expressed hope of achieving better results in the future. However, at the end of the day, the bumper harvest in the fields and this huge activity in the market will be meaningful only when the traders also see stability after overcoming the instability in the transport sector. Otherwise, this important wheel of the economy may face a major setback.