Farmers experienced a bumper yield of Boro paddy in Kishoreganj this year. Harvesting in hundred percent lands of haor areas and ninety percent lands of upstream areas has already been completed.
However, despite the excellent yield, farmers said that they were not getting good price of Boro paddy. So, many of them were selling their wet paddy in low price in their own areas. Wet paddy was being sold at only Tk 800 to Tk 850 at Narsunda river bank market at Chamra Bandar of Karimganj. Many farmers were selling their crop at low price to meet labor and transportation costs although government paddy procurement has already started.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said that the farmers are facing loss as they are not getting good price of paddy. But, DAE is providing advices so that the farmers can get a better price.
Farmers said although the government procure paddy in every season, the farmers cannot sell them directly to the warehouses due to the middlemen. The middlemen buy the crop from them at low price and sell the paddy in the warehouses. The farmers are being deprived due to this.
On the other hand, most of the farmers cannot register in the app as they are not educated.
The farmers also said that only paddies with moisture of below 14 percent are procured in the food warehouses. The price of paddy is higher in the warehouse compared to the market. The farmers cannot sell wet paddy at the warehouse. If the quality of paddy is not very well, the farmers cannot sell their crop in the warehouses. However, the famers can sell their paddy even if the quality is bit substandard.
Several farmers said the cost of supplying paddy in the warehouses, including labour cost and transportation cost, is higher. So, they are reluctant to sell their paddy in the warehouses.
Sources from District Food Controller’s Office, Kishoreganj said a target is set to procure 21,865 metric ton paddy at Tk 1,280 per maund (Tk 32 per kg) in 13 Upazilas of the district. Paddy will be purchased from the farmers through the app in eight Upazilas of the district. In the remaining Upazilas, the crop will be brought through the list. This procurement campaign will continue till August 31.
It was learnt that, harvesting paddy was completed well this season as the weather remained favorable. The farmers have completed harvesting of 95 percent lands of the main Haor areas in the district while the farmers of the upstream areas completed harvesting in 90 percent of lands. The paddy is quickly taken to the farmers’ houses after harvesting. Hundreds of boats loaded with paddy throng Chamra Bandar Ghat at Karimganj in the district. Despite the good yield, the farmers of Kishoreganj, a district known for the high production of food grains, are disappointed over price of paddy.
Paddy traders in the district said that they have to dry the wet paddy after buying. So, the price of paddy is low. Moreover, the farmers are not getting good price as the mill owners have not started buying the paddy.
Taibuddin, a farmer of Nababpur village under Mithamoin Upazila of the district, said that farmers usually prefer to sell their paddy in the local markets as they find it easy to deal with. Sometimes, they also sell their paddy in the warehouse, he said.
Another farmer from Niyamatpur area under Karimganj Upazila, Manik Mia, said that the profit he makes from selling paddy is not enough to cover the costs he has to bear from sowing paddy in the land to harvesting the crop. The wet paddy is being sold at Tk 800 per maund now. So, he is facing losses, he added.
Farmer Shah Alam from Ghaghra Shiyara village in Mithamoin Upazila said that he sells a portion of his paddy in the local market to meet the production cost. And he stocks another portion to sell it later. However, he said that he never sold his paddy in the warehouses.
District Food Controller (Acting) Mohammad Asaduzzaman Molla didn’t receive the phone call when the correspondent tried to contact him regarding this matter.
Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Extension Abul Kalam Azad said Boro paddy has been cultivated in 167,150 hectares of land in the district this year. The production target was set at 757,387 metric ton of rice. A bumper yield was experienced in the district this season. So foremost priority should be given to the genuine farmers.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad said actions will be taken based on investigation of specific complaints regarding any irregularity in paddy procurement.
