Watermelon is a popular juicy fruit for Iftar. The price of this fruit in the retail market is now 80 taka per kilogram. Which was available at this time in other years between 50-55 taka. And in the peak season, the price is between 40 taka. In other words, the price of watermelon is unusual now due to fasting.
Even then, most of the watermelons available in the market are not ripe. Even though they turn red inside after cutting, the sweetness has not fully developed. As a result, buyers are being cheated by buying these immature watermelons at high prices.
Retailers claim that now the supply of watermelons in the area is low, and the price is high. Barisal region – Patuakhali, Barguna, Bhola and Jhalakathi have produced a lot of watermelons this time. There is also a good yield of watermelons in the southern regions including Koyra in Khulna. However, since the season has not yet fully started, watermelons from all areas are not coming.
Rampura retailer Aminul Hossain said, last year, 100 watermelons were bought from the store at 12-13 thousand taka. And this time the price is double. Even then, they were not available on the day before Ramadan. That is why they are being sold at abnormal prices.
He said, before Ramadan, every 10 watermelons had to be bought for 20-25 thousand taka. Which has increased by 5-6 thousand taka in a span of three or four days. Therefore, he is selling them at retail at 80 taka per kg. A week or two ago, he sold watermelons at 60 taka.
A fruit trader named Enamul Haque said, I cannot pick watermelons in the store due to the price. The price of watermelons in the store is the same. There is no movement.
He said, there is no supply compared to that. Now only those who planted earlier are able to pick watermelons earlier. Again, many are selling unripe ones in the hope of extra profit. In fact, the watermelons that will arrive after a few days will be ripe.
Meanwhile, Farid Uddin, the owner of ‘Jashore Fruit House’ in Karwan Bazar, said that the watermelon season has not yet arrived. Farmers are harvesting watermelons early due to fasting. Due to which there is not much supply. The prices are high.
He said that the watermelons that are now seen in the market are small in size, more than three kilograms. It is safe to say that there are no large watermelons. Most of these watermelons are immature.
Agriculture related people say that watermelon cultivation usually starts in December. The fruit ripens in April. Then watermelons remain in the field throughout the month of May. This is the full season. The ripe watermelons start to ripen in the month of Chaitra or the first week of April.
