Dub demand is at its peak to escape from the intense heat of summer. At this time, if you drink 1 glass of bottled water, the lack of water will be removed, the body will cool down. There is no substitute for bottled water to cure various diseases including preventing dehydration in intense heat. But this dub is also not available now. Overpriced dubbing is now beyond the reach of the lower and middle classes.
From the Coconut Baria (Club) area of Rajapur Upazila of Jhalkathi, trucks are going to the big cities of the country including Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi. In addition to reducing the unemployment problem in the area, farmers and retailers are also benefiting economically.
Talking to the dubbing traders, it is known that there are several dubbing spots in Barbakpur of Sadar Union of Rajapur Upazila and Narikel Bariya (Club) area of Shuktagarh Union. Retail buyers travel from remote areas to villages to buy dubbing and hand it over to wholesalers. Buyers have to pay the purchase price of each box (depending on the size) 50 to 65 taka to the tree owner. 2-3 people buy group based dub. Some climbed the tree, some stood down and helped to bring the can down safely with a rope. After taking down the can, someone cut the unnecessary part from the stick and cleaned it and stored it in one place.
In the midst of the whole day’s work, breakfast, car hire and reaching the wholesale destination cost another 5 rupees per box. After that, dubbing is sold to wholesalers at a price of up to 80 rupees depending on the size. The wholesaler buys those boxes and loads them on trucks and delivers them to the big cities in different parts of the country. 2-3 more workers work in the process till the truck is loaded and arranged before leaving the car. After their salary and all vehicle expenses, each dub costs about a hundred rupees to reach Arda.
Retail dubbing buyers from door to door. Siddiqur Rahman said, we buy each dub at the rate of Tk 50 to 65 according to the size of the dub. We sell to wholesalers at a rate of up to 80 with the labor of climbing the tree and supply. The wholesalers buy the dub from us and take it to different parts of the country by truck.
Zakir and Abul Hossain, retail buyers, said that they had to go around the village and climb on top of the trees to cut dab under this sun. Anyone who climbs a tree knows what it is like to cut a tree. After that, after cutting down the dabs and calculating the cost of breakfast to the tree owner, renting a car and getting to the destination, I do not get profit according to the time and effort spent. The price of each tank falls from 120 taka to 150 taka to reach the customer. And we get about half of that. Due to two-three changes of hands we are deprived of fair price.
Dub wholesale buyer. Dulal Hossain said, by purchasing the box from retailers at the rate of Tk 65 to Tk 80 and delivering it to the major cities of the country including Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, each box costs more than Tk 100. Retailers buy from the dealers and sell each dub at Tk 120 to Tk 150. Farmers complain that although the prices are high to reach the buyers from the marginal coconut farmers through the hands of the middlemen, the actual farmers are not getting fair prices.
Hasibun Islam, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Jhalkathi District Agriculture Extension Department, said that there are 1,177 hectares of coconut plantations in Jhalkathi district. It has hundreds of thousands of coconut trees. From where the dubbed coconut needs of the region are being supplied to different parts of the country. Dub production is also higher in this season than other times of the year.
FA/ASM
