Golden ears of paddy are swaying in the breeze in Ishwardi, Pabna. The good crop had brought smiles to farmers' faces, but low paddy prices have wiped them away. Counting production costs, farmers cannot make a profit.

The upazila office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said transplanted Aman has been grown on 3,615 hectares in Ishwardi this season, but 275 hectares fewer were planted because of low rainfall.

Farmers have begun cutting their Aman. Many have left cut paddy in the fields to dry, while others are tying it in sheaves and threshing it. Farmers are also selling paddy to meet labour costs.

Anisur Rahman Adam Ali, a farmer in Ista village, said: "I've grown paddy on 10 bighas. The yield is good, but counting production costs there will be no profit. Still, farmers have to grow paddy, so we do. The yield is 15 to 18 maunds a bigha, and paddy now sells at Tk 1,200 to 1,350 a maund."

Asadul Islam, a farmer in Atail Shimul village of Dashuria union, said: "I grew paddy on seven bighas and the yield is very good. I've cut and threshed it and brought it home. But with fertiliser and pesticide more expensive this time, I don't think there'll be a profit."

Joynal Abedin, a farmer in Ista village, said the lack of rain meant irrigating with shallow machines this time, and with fertiliser and pesticide prices up, costs have nearly doubled on other years. "But the price of paddy hasn't doubled. Farmers keep working the land quietly with pain in their hearts, but no one sees their suffering," he said.

Sujan Kumar Roy, a sub-assistant at the upazila agriculture office, told Jagonews that the Aman yield in the upazila is good. BRRI-47 variety has been grown here, yielding 18 to 19 maunds a bigha, and he expects farmers to profit because of the good yield.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Mita Sarkar told Jagonews that the paddy yield has been very good this transplanted Aman season, and farmers will profit because of it.

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