Ripe aman rice is being cut across Satkhira, but selling it is not covering what farmers spent. A bigha costs Tk 23,000 to 24,000 to grow and yields 10 to 12 sacks, while a 60 kg sack fetches Tk 1,600 to 1,800. At those figures, the most a bigha can bring in from paddy is Tk 21,600.
Azarul Islam, a farmer in Naranjol village in Sadar upazila, said he spent about Tk 24,000 a bigha this year. "What will we eat for the rest of the year? How will we run the household?" he asked, adding that he may be forced to stop farming if this continues.
Labour is adding to the bill. Farmer Palash Hossain said cutting and bundling one bigha costs about Tk 3,000; a man takes Tk 800 for eight hours and a woman Tk 700 for seven. Ataur Rahman of Kalaroa said production costs are nearly double last year's while the price of paddy has risen by only Tk 100. Many have to sell soon after harvest to repay loans.
At Jhaudanga paddy market on Friday (6 November), Ripon Hossain sold a sack for Tk 1,630. He complained that dealers say they have no fertiliser when he goes to buy it. Trader Ashish Ghosh said neither paddy nor rice is moving, demand from the husking yards is low and warehouses hold enough stock, so buyers have little interest in more.
Iqbal Ahmed, acting deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Satkhira, said aman covers 99,160 hectares this season, 10 hectares above target. At a target of 4.47 tonnes a hectare, the department expects about 403,000 tonnes. He said farmers risk a loss if they sell below Tk 35 a kilogram, though straw sales can recover part of it.
Farmers want stronger government procurement, direct buying from genuine growers and easier access to inputs. Without them, they fear many will lose interest in growing rice. The report draws on Dhaka Post.
Photo: Balaram Mahalder / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Agricare24
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