Bumper production of Boro crop this season failed to bring smile on the faces of farmers due to stiff fall in market price of their produces.
Farmers and officials at the Department of Agricultural Extension say that favourable weather, timely facilities of fertiliser, seed, pesticides and irrigation have resulted a bumper harvest in the latest season.
However, without government intervention in regulating market price, farmers say they will not be able to take home any real profit even with ample production.
Kishoreganj Department of Agricultural Extension said, the current season aimed to farm Boro over 163,291 hectares of land in 13 Upazilas. But, farmers sowed Boro over a wider area – 163,500 hectares.
The agricultural department is expecting a copious production of 970,494 metric tonnes of Boro.
Generally, paddy yielded during this season are called Boro paddy.
Farmers in Itana, Mithamain, Ashtagram and some other Upazilas in Kishoreganj’s wetland were seen busy cultivating the harvest. A festive mood prevailed through the areas due to bumper yield. But the mood soon changed to gloom as farmers took their produce to the market.
Sadeque Mia, a farmer from Itana Upazila’s Shimulbak village, told bdnews24.com that he spent Tk 700 on average per mound of paddy. But, the current market price for a mound is Tk 600.
He says he could have earned profit if he could store the crop for a while.
Only wealthy farmer could afford the luxury of storing their crops. Such rich farmers are rare in Kishoreganj’s wetland areas, bdnews24.com Correspondent reported.
Sadeque said they sow crops mostly after taking loans. “Lenders come and ask for money even before the crops are harvested. So, there is no other option than to sell the crops the moment they are cut.”
bdnews24.com reports that most of the farmers in the areas faced similar precarious situation.
Another farmer, Motaleb Mia, from Mithaiman Upazila’s Kamalpur village was in utter despair for not being able to fetch “true price” for his crop even after putting utmost efforts throughout the season.
“If I do not get the due price, then I will be forced to switch my profession,” he said.
The biggest market in the wetlands – Chamra Bandar – is now teeming with sellers and buyers. Local store-house owners have admitted of low prices in the market.
One such store-house owner MA Haque said the market price for rice is down. Mill owners are not interested to buy in high prices. “Therefore, farmers are being forced to sell off their crops in low price.”
“The current market price for paddy is – for raw paddy below Tk 600 per mound, dried paddy is a little more than Tk 600 per mound,” he said.
Kishoreganj Department of Agricultural Extension Deputy Director Nirmal Kumar Saha said if the price can be fixed at Tk 720 per mound, farmers will be benefited to some extent.
There is no need to buy paddy directly from the farmers, he said – effectively meaning that the government at the moment is not willing to buy paddy directly from farmers.
Source: Bd news24
