In Lalmonirhat, over a thousand growers of jujube, a small fruit known locally as boroi, are upset over the low prices of the fruit this year. They have to sell the produce for less than the production cost in the local market, resulting in their losing interest in farming the fruit in future, growers said.

Now one kg of jujube is being sold at Tk 25-Tk 30 in the retail market, but the growers sell it atTk 17-Tk 19 to middlemen. Last year, the price was Tk 30-Tk 32 per kg.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said there are about 500 jujube orchards on 2,000 bighas of land in five upazilas of the district,

while there were only 200 three years ago. Farmers became interested in growing jujube because they used to get windfall profits from selling this fruit until this season, they added.

Shahidur Rahman, 50, a farmer at Karnapur village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said he and two other farmers of the village prepared a jujube orchard on eight bighas of land four years ago. "We were interested in farming jujube as we got good prices for the fruit over the last few years," he said.

Rafique Miah, 45, a jujube grower from Khorarpul village in the upazila, said they spent Tk 20-Tk 22 for producing one kg of jujube due to increases in labour costs and a rise in the prices of pesticides. "I

got only Tk 45 thousand from selling jujube from my two bighas of land, but last year I earned Tk 70 thou-sand from the same orchard," he said, adding that he is facing a loss this year.

Mohor Ali, 55, a farmer from Kakina village of Kaliganj upazila, said he prepared two orchards on 8 bighas of land for farming jujube, taking a loan from a local NGO, in the hope of earning a handsome profit from selling jujube this year, but his hopes were dashed. "1 got only Tk 60 thousand this year, and I may get Tk one lakh more by selling all the jujubes in my two orchards, but 1 have spent Tk two lakh," he said.

Fruit trader Nasir Uddin, 48, at Mogholhat Gate in

Lalmonirhat town, said jujubes are being sold at low prices due to a huge supply but few customers. "We sent large quantity of jujubes to Dhaka last year, but we are not getting merchants from the capital this year," he said.

Another fruit trader Rashedul Islam of College Road in the town, said "We have loaned money to the jujube growers, but now we don't know how we will get back our investment,” he added.

Enamul Haque, agriculture officer of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said there is huge supply in the local market this year due to bumper production of jujube, so growers are getting lower prices for the fruit.