With supply short in Naogaon, the price of fine paddy has risen by Tk 80 to 100 a maund in two weeks, and medium and coarse paddy by Tk 70 to 90 a maund.

A visit to various markets in Mahadevpur upazila on Saturday, 21 October, found paddy supply very low, because poor farmers had already sold all their paddy out of need.

Two weeks ago Zirashail sold at Tk 1,270 to 1,290 a maund, Kataribhog at Tk 1,240 to 1,260, and Parija, 56 and 21 varieties at Tk 1,050 to 1,070. Now Zirashail is selling at Tk 1,340 to 1,370, Kataribhog at Tk 1,330 to 1,360, and Parija, 56 and 21 varieties at Tk 1,150 to 1,170.

Sajib Ali, a farmer from Cheragpur union in the upazila, said: "I grew the 56 variety on seven bighas. After cutting and threshing, I sold at Tk 1,050 a maund. Compared with that, the price has risen by Tk 100 in 20 days. But now there is hardly any paddy at home, so even though the price has gone up, we get no profit."

Afzal Hossain, a farmer from Bakchar village, said: "I farm 9 bighas and live on it. Whatever paddy I get, I sell first to pay off debts, then sell the rest month by month to run the household. When I have plenty, I don't get the price, and when the granary is empty, I don't get the price."

Karim Tarafdar, a paddy trader in the upazila, said: "Earlier supply was good and prices were low. I buy 2,000 to 2,500 maunds of paddy at every market, but with supply short I could not buy even 1,000 maunds today. I am having to pay Tk 90 to 100 more a maund."

Farhad Hossain Chakdar, general secretary of the Naogaon District Rice Mill Owners Group, said the price of paddy rose by Tk 50 a maund last week and by another Tk 50 this week. "The Boro season is now almost over, so with little paddy left in farmers' granaries the markets have felt the effect. I hope farmers will profit if they can sell paddy at higher prices from the start of the season to the end," he said.

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