Lemon prices go up amid immunity boosting efforts

Amidst heightened health consciousness for the pandemic, lemon prices are skyrocketing in its present off season, benefitting a huge number of farmers in Sylhet division, especially those in Moulvibazar's Sreemangal upazila.

So much so that the cost of each "hali", the Bangla for four pieces of something, has gone up four or fivefold to around Tk 100.

"Unimaginable…I haven't seen anything like it," says Shaymal Debborma, who has been cultivating the citrus fruit in Tiprachherra since the time of his forefathers.

A lot of people, especially marginal farmers, have been largely dependent on cultivating lemons in the area even before Bangladesh gained independence, he said.

During the harvest season from April to September, every four lemons usually fetch around Tk 20, said farmer Md Sadek Mia of Jamburachherra.

With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last year, a single lemon was selling for Tk 10-Tk 15, he said.

Demand was driven up by the fact that lemon juice is a substantial source of vitamin C, which ensures healthy immune systems.

The average man needs 40 milligrammes a day, said the Kulaura upazila health and planning officer, Dr Nurul Haque.

Vitamin C helps to heal wounds and prevents kidney stone disease while the inner lining of lemon peels protects veins and arteries, he said.

Local healthcare officials advised drinking lemon juice to prevent coronavirus, said Abul Kashem, a resident of Purbasha village.

He was frustrated at the prices, saying even the small-sized ones which were yet to mature were each being sold at Tk 9 while the medium ones at Tk 15.

Meanwhile, farmers were in for a surprise bumper harvest in the off season, thanks to the availability of water, favourable weather conditions, suitable land and cheap labour, according to farmer Milon Sheikh of Jamburachherra village.

"Buyers have placed orders of huge volumes," he said.

There are 1,751 orchards on 1,675 hectares of land in Moulvibazar, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). In 2020, 26,800 tonnes were produced.

A lot of the country's demand is being met from Sreemangal, stated the DAE Moulvibazar unit's deputy director, Kazi Lutful Bari.

The most popular varieties are Kagoji, Jara, Jhuta, China, Elachi, Beej-Shunya and Sharboti, he said.

Different varieties of Sylhet region are available year round but the peak harvest season starts in July and continues till September, said Dilip Kumar Adhikary, additional director of the DAE's Sylhet division unit.

It is high in demand in cities but only a few wholesalers are offering it in the markets lately, he added.

Lemons were unavailable in winter even a few years ago but now due to the application of advanced technologies and cultivation of high-yield varieties, the citrus fruit is produced round the year, said farmer Shamsul Haque.

He, however, claimed of being deprived of his fair share from market prices.

Farmers have to pay 5 per cent of sales to wholesalers and it is not possible to run business bypassing them, he said.

Normally during this season, every 1,000 lemons fetch Tk 1,500-Tk 2,000 at wholesale but now it is Tk 7,000-Tk 10,000, said the president of the area's lemon and pineapple wholesalers' association, Hazi Jasim Uddin.

The supply is low, said trader Mizanur Rahman of Notunbazar area to this correspondent.

Demand has been high for the past few months and even the small ones which have very little juice inside are each selling for Tk 8 on an average, he said.