Farmers in Magura are busy harvesting this boro season. Harvesting began across the district's fields at the start of Baishakh; in some places paddy is being cut, in others the cut crop is being brought home, and the whole district is busy. But farmers are frustrated at the low prices they are getting.

That was the picture on 10 May in Moghir Dhal, Bhabonhati, Jagla, Satyapur, Paka Kanchan, Kali Shankarpur, Chandpur and other areas of Moghi union in Sadar upazila.

Farmers are working in the fields from morning till evening. Wide fields are full of half-ripe and ripe golden paddy, and farmers seem to be racing against time to bring it home.

Farmer Abdul Khalek said he grew boro on four kani of land this season and got good yields from hybrid and high-yielding varieties. "The yield is good, but we are frustrated because paddy has no price. We have to pay harvest labourers Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200, while a maund of paddy sells for Tk 800 to Tk 1,000."

Farmer Rahim Mia said: "By the grace of Allah the paddy is good, but the market price is very low. Our hope of profit has faded." Another farmer, Ramzan, said the crop was good but low prices were adding to his worries. "If this goes on, it will be hard for farmers to survive."

Md Tajul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Magura, said boro was grown on the targeted area this year and yields are good. Md Masud Rana, Magura Sadar upazila agriculture officer, said yields on the same land were higher than last year.

People involved say favourable weather and improved seed have raised output, but farmers are under pressure because production costs have risen while a fair price for paddy is not assured. The harvest in Magura is at its peak, yet market prices are bringing farmers worry instead of relief despite the bumper crop.

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