The farmers in Jhenaidah district have expressed their dissatisfaction when the price of transplanting Aman (T Aman) paddy has fallen, while the price of rice unchanged in the market in recent days. The situation could not bring smile on the farmers’ lips as production cost of the paddy went high. Farmer Abdul Malek of Bishoykhali area in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila said they sold their newly harvested T Aman paddy at Taka 1,150 to 1,200 per maund, while the price fallen at Taka 1.050 to 1,100 in a week. He said due to price hike of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation charges for last couple of months the production cost was increased. Higher cost of the day labourers had added a new suffering here.
Farmer Anup Biswas of Langabnadh vie iShailkupa of Jhenaidah said they had hired day labourers for paddy cutting at Taka 500 to 600 in the last season, while the rate was increased to 650 to 700 in the current T Aman season. It has been hampering the harvesting activities. The farmers said a farmer could receive Taka 24 thousand from selling 20 maunds of paddy produced on a bigha of land. He has to spend at least Taka 17 to 18 thousand for seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation water, weedidng and labour charges. Now it is a losing concern for the farmers although the price of the paddy was somehow increased in the market.
When contacted a source related to the office of the deputy director (DD) of the department of agriculture extension (DAE), the farmers had started harvesting the paddy about three weeks back. 70 percent of the paddy was harvested till November, while it might take another one week to bring the remaining paddy in the houses of the farmers.
They said DAE in Jhenaidah had set a target to produce 343,290 tones of rice on 104,750 hectares of land in the current TAman season. Production target of the rice hectare was 3.28 tons on each hectare in the season. The farmers of the district brought 104,333 hectares this season.
Harvesting activities might be hampered as the day labour charge for cutting the paddy was higher in the labour selling markets in Jhenaidah, they said.
Deputy Director of the DAE in Jhenaidah Khamarbari Asgar Ali when contacted said a few of the farmers had harvested their TAman which was damaged partially by the Sitrang. Most of the farmers had harvested the paddy and remaining might complete the harvesting with a week. The farmers in Jhenaidah will be more or less benefited from the TAM in the season, deputy director said.
