Shwapno stands beside distressed farmers in Northern zone

Shwapno, a top retail brand shop in Bangladesh, stood beside the distressed farmers in the Northern region. 

Winter vegetables such as tomato, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli are being kept on the land and wasted in the districts of Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur and Bogra. Eventually the farmers are facing huge losses. Under these circumstances, Shwapno, the country's largest super shop, has decided to support the farmers facing financial debacle. 

Arif Ahmed is a farmer from the Nekmarad Bottoli of Ranishangkoil  Upazila of Thakurgaon District. The 55-years-old farmer planted cauliflowers in 4 bighas of his land. For each of the cauliflower, he had to spend Tk5.5. But he hardly had any buyers for them. He could not sell his hard-earned crop at Tk2 per piece. The vegetables have been left at the land to be wasted. Besides that Arif cannot pay the interest of the loan he took for farming.

Lalmonirhat has similar stories. Cauliflowers are hardly getting any price over there as well. Monir Hossein a cauliflower grower from Mogulhut of Lalmonirhat says, "We are in a dire situation with our farming. We cannot recuperate the cost. The crop is getting destroyed by the weather if left in land."

Shah Alam, another cauliflower farmer from Kahaloo Upazila of Bogra says, "The wholesalers are not coming. We are not getting any price. We are in ruins."

Amid these trying times, super shops Shwapno has decided to support the farmers. Shwapno is buying vegetables directly from the farmers of Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat and Bogra. 

Farmers are elated to get Shwapno as a buyer in their hardship. One of the cauliflower growers from Ranisankail of Thakurgaon district, Mokhlesur Rahman says, "Our crops would have been destroyed if 'Shwapno' was not there. Occupied land is opening up as they are buying from us directly. We are also receiving direct cash. We thank the Shwapno stuff to collect vegetables from us in this shivering cold. They are the real friends of farmers."

Under the supervision of Shwapno's Head of Purchase Sajjadul Haque and CSR and Grower's Welfare Officer Shariful Islam, a dozen Shwapno workers are regularly buying vegetables in these areas. Fresh vegetables bought from the land of endangered farmers are available at the outlets of 'Shwapno'.

Regarding the support to the farmers, Shwapno's Head of Purchase Sajjadul Haque says, "This time the winter has brought misery to the lives of the farmers of the northern region. Unable to sell the crop, the farmers are suffering with their families. Many people cannot afford to buy winter clothes for their families. So we regularly buy winter vegetables from the north zone.