Paddy is arriving every day by trawler from the haor at the various wholesale markets of Bhairab bazar. Farmers from Khaliajuri in Netrokona and Itna and Mithamain in Kishoreganj are bringing it by river to sell, but they are frustrated at not getting the prices they hoped for.

On the spot, several trawlers loaded with paddy were seen arriving from the haor, brought by farmers and traders. Many trawlers came full of paddy in the hope of selling it. The paddy is being taken into the market's wholesale sheds, and some is being piled up and stored on the riverbank. But farmers are disappointed because new paddy prices are low.

At Bhairab bazar, new coarse paddy sells at Tk 800 to Tk 820 a maund, and fine paddy at Tk 1,000 a maund. Only a month ago, old paddy was selling at Tk 1,400 to Tk 1,500 a maund. With new paddy arriving, prices have dropped by Tk 500 a maund at a stroke. Wholesalers said prices fall every year when new paddy arrives in Baishakh. The government has set this year's Boro paddy procurement price at Tk 36 a kg, which comes to Tk 1,500 a maund, but it has not yet started buying. Once it does, prices will rise.

Locals said harvesting is in full swing in the haors of various upazilas of Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Sylhet. Because it is easy to bring paddy by trawler along the rivers and transport costs are low, farmers and traders bring their new paddy to Bhairab bazar after harvest, where there are several paddy wholesale sheds. Rice mill owners from Ashuganj, Munshiganj, Chandpur and Chattogram come to Bhairab's wholesalers to buy new paddy, and local rice millers are buying too.

Traders said that by the middle of Baishakh thousands of maunds of paddy will arrive in Bhairab from the haor every day. On the market days of Wednesday and Thursday, thousands of maunds arrive on at least 20 to 30 trawlers on the banks of the Meghna.

Bhairab paddy wholesaler Mahbub Mia said new paddy started arriving a few days ago, and full-scale harvesting in the haor will begin from the second week of Baishakh. For now, farmers are cutting early varieties and bringing in wet paddy to sell. Wet paddy loses weight when it dries, and yields less rice when milled, so prices are low. When dry paddy arrives in Jaishtha and the government starts buying paddy and rice, prices will rise somewhat, he said.

Another wholesaler, Ali Hossain, said a great deal of paddy is arriving at Bhairab's market but sales are low because there are few buyers.

Amjad Ali, a farmer who came to Bhairab from Itna upazila in the haor, said: "I brought 100 maunds of new paddy and sold it at Tk 800 a maund. I am frustrated, because it now costs more than Tk 800 to produce a maund of paddy."

Trader Abdur Rashid said he bought 200 maunds of paddy at Tk 780 a maund in Khaliajuri upazila of Netrokona in the haor, brought it to Bhairab and sold it at Tk 800, making a loss.

Rice mill owner Khorshed Mia, who had come to buy paddy, said: "We are happy that paddy prices are low."

Bhairab Upazila Agriculture Officer Aklima Begum said full-scale harvesting has not yet begun, but will start in the haor next week. Once government procurement of paddy and rice begins, prices will rise; paddy prices are somewhat low every year in Baishakh. If farmers dry their paddy and sell it two months later, they will certainly get a fair price, she said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.