Staff Reporter:

The Bagbati market in Sirajganj Sadar Upazila seems like a kingdom of olives. Wherever you look in the market, there are heaps of olives. This bustling market starts around the end of Ashwin (mid-October) and continues until Magh (January–February). By the time morning passes into noon, the crowd in the market begins to grow. As far as the eye can see, every corner of the market is filled with green olives.

At the market, some people are unloading sacks, others are arranging olives in baskets, and yet others are negotiating prices with the wholesalers. The fresh scent of olives fills the air all around. Altogether, the market is alive with a colorful display of the farmers’ hard work and joy.

Olives are being sold at Tk 400 to Tk800 per mon. The market sees daily transactions worth Tk 300,000 to Tk400,000. Sundays and Thursdays these two market days draw the largest crowds, but during the olive season, trading goes on almost every day, not just on market days.

Farmers say they no longer have to worry about selling olives like they used to. With demand rising in the market, they are getting good prices. Olives have now become their main source of livelihood.

The fame of Bagbati’s olives has now spread beyond the district boundaries. Olives from Bagbati are regularly sent to Faridpur, Bhola, Tangail, Natore, Bogura—and even Dhaka. Due to their good quality, these olives are also supplied to various wholesale markets across the country, including Karwan Bazar.

Several of the country’s top local companies purchase these olives to make pickles.

The soil and climate of Sirajganj are very suitable for olive cultivation. In recent years, the cultivation of olives in this region has increased noticeably. Olive farmers are hopeful that even more land will be planted in the next season.