SUKANTA HALDER

The dominance of middlemen, a lack of information, extortion, and unpredictable transportation costs have a significant impact, resulting in the high retail prices of vegetables, according to a recent Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) report.

On June 29, the BTTC sent the report to the Ministry of Commerce identifying problems in vegetable market management, recommending solutions, and seeking necessary action.

According to data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for 2024, the agriculture sector accounts for 11.52 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

In order to prepare the report, a four-member team from the commission visited more than 20 wholesale and retail markets in the districts of Bogura, Gaibandha, Faridpur, Jashore, and Dhaka.

The Daily Star obtained a copy of the report, which said middlemen hold significant dominance in the vegetable market, buying produce from farmers at low prices and selling it at high rates.

Due to the lack of timely access to information on market demand, product pricing, and modern agricultural practices, farmers are often unable to make the right decisions at the right time, it said.

Vegetable traders have reported that vegetable-laden transport vehicles are extorted by “law enforcement agencies” and “private organisations” at key entry points to Dhaka, such as Jatrabari, Aminbazar, and Abdullahpur, it added.

However, they did not specify the amount of money extorted.

Truck rental costs vary depending on availability. For example, if a return trip fare cannot be secured, the rental charges increase, the report mentioned.

The report quoted a vegetable wholesaler in Bogura as saying that he faces