Early aman rice is ripening in Lalmonirhat after favourable weather, and harvesting and threshing are in full swing. About 20 per cent of the crop in the district's five upazilas has already been cut and threshed, people involved said, and farmers expect a good yield.
According to the district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension, 86,555 hectares were planted with transplanted aman this season, with a target of 270,629 tonnes of rice.
Farmers are less sure about profit. Workers have come from neighbouring districts as well, but labour is short and wages have risen. Iman Mia, 44, of Ambari village in Sadar upazila, said hired hands are so costly he plans to cut his paddy himself. Ayub Ali, 48, of Panchagram union has harvested about 30 per cent of his field and sold five maunds of new paddy at 1,100 taka a maund.
Sunil Chandra Roy, 66, of the same union set out his numbers: a bigha costs him about 14,000 taka to grow. At 17 maunds a bigha and 1,100 taka a maund, it fetches 18,700 taka, leaving him only 23,500 taka over five bighas after costs. Ibrahim Islam, 42, of Bhotmari union in Kaliganj said cutting, threshing and carrying the crop home with hired labour alone cost him 4,290 taka a bigha, or 8,580 taka for his two bighas.
Muslem Bepari, 50, and Nazir Hossain, 55, of Aditmari said costs have risen at every stage, especially harvesting and threshing, so a bigger crop is not bringing a bigger profit. Farmers called for a fair paddy price that reflects production costs. Several growers in Hatibandha and Patgram said selling straw gives them some extra income.
Paddy trader Manik Mahajan, 47, at Borobari market said new paddy is selling at 1,100 taka a maund and old fine paddy at up to 1,350 taka, varying with quality, moisture and demand. If supply and demand stay balanced, he expects prices to rise over the next few days.
Photo: Tanvir Rahat / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: BSS
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