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Farmers not getting fair price of paddy


Published : 09 May 2022 09:55 PM

About 379 hectares of paddy land in Kishoreganj's Haor was submerged this year. Due to the upstream water, the farmers brought home the semi-ripe Boro paddy at that time. So far, 81% paddy has been harvested in the district. Already 95% paddy harvesting has been completed in Haor. After overcoming hundreds of obstacles, farmers have been able to bring Boro paddy home. However, the farmers are assuming that they will not get the real price of paddy due to brokers, peddlers and middlemen. Although the government has officially announced the purchase of paddy directly from farmers from April 19, in reality it is limited to paper pens. Although the target for Boro paddy cultivation in Kishoreganj district has been set at 1 lakh 66 thousand 485 hectares this year, the planting has been comparatively more. This year 1 lakh 67 thousand 190 hectares of land comes under cultivation in the district.

As of May 9, 95 per cent paddy has been harvested in the low lying areas of Haor region. In upstream area, 57 percent paddy has been harvested. In the heat of summer, there are doubts about the price of Boro paddy, the hard-earned crop of the farmers. This year, 13 upazilas of the district, the target has been set to buy 23,176 metric tons of paddy at the rate of Tk 1,080 per mound, or Tk 27 per kg.

It can be seen on the ground that thousands of metric tons of paddy are coming to the Chamta Ghat by boat from Haor region. Trucks are being transported by road from the river bank. Such a scene will be seen at Chamta Ghat in Karimganj upazila of the district known as the gateway to the Haor region. New paddy is being bought and sold in about 50 warehouses. Some farmers are in trouble for selling half-ripe and malnourished paddy after harvesting. 

The price of paddy is 500-600 taka per mound. But to cut this paddy, every farmer has to pay 600 taka. On top of that the production cost of paddy is 700 to 750 taka. Farmers are facing more losses than gains. Because it is less likely to be rice from malnourished paddy and the farmers have been forced to protect the cattle feed. However, due to low prices of paddy, farmers are lost. Farmers have expressed frustration over the price.

In the warehouses, coarse paddy is being sold at taka 600 to 700 per mound and plain paddy at taka 700 to 800 per mound. 

Ripe and 95% dried paddy is being sold at a maximum of taka 750 to 850. It is learned that new paddy has started arriving from various places of Kishoreganj and surrounding districts every day. Thousands of mounds of paddy are being imported every day in engine driven trawlers as the communication system between Chamraghat and Bhairab Bazar is easy. These paddy are being sold in hundreds of yards in these two markets.

Shahid Mia, a farmer of Itna Upazila said, farmers were not getting the expected price. It has cost more than a thousand taka to grow paddy on the land. But when we go to the market, we are forced to sell paddy at a loss.

Sultan, a paddy seller, said it cost 12 to 13 thousand taka to grow paddy on 35 percent of his land. And in every 35 percent of the land the production of paddy is 17 to 18 mounds. If the produced paddy is sold at the current market price, there is nothing left.

Warehouse owner Kabir Hossain said that although some panic spread among the farmers in the upstream water, there was no damage in the end. The farmer has been able to return home with the paddy after cutting, threshing and drying the paddy. Paddy prices may rise further. So farmers are selling fewer paddies this time. Taking home for storage.

On the other hand, as farmers are less interested in selling paddy in government food warehouses, there are doubts as to whether the target of buying paddy will be achieved this time.

Kishoreganj District Agriculture Extension Department Deputy Director Md. Abdus Sattar said, the target for rice production this year was 7 lakh 26 thousand 687 metric tons. However, I think the target will be exceeded.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shamim Alam said efforts have been made before to achieve the target. This year, I am encouraging all the Upazila Nirbahi Officers, Food Controllers, Union Parishad representatives to procure more paddy to the government. We did well from many districts last Boro season. Broker, Faria is gone now. Farmers will be able to sell paddy through online registration. If we can buy more paddy, the government will be able to stockpile more.