The Boro crop has yielded as hoped this season, yet there is disappointment on farmers' faces in Sherpur. With the paddy ripening everywhere at once, everyone has started harvesting, and that has created an acute shortage of labourers. A maund of paddy is no longer enough to pay one worker for a day. Farmers say they may make a loss because of wages despite the good yield, and many fear trouble bringing the crop home if continuous rain sets in.

Only a few days ago a labourer's daily wage was Tk 600-700. It has now risen to Tk 900-1,000, on top of two meals, tea and snacks and one kg of rice. If there is any sign of rain, workers cannot be had even for Tk 1,000. Against this, a maund of paddy is selling for Tk 850-900.

Sarowar Kabir of Kumri Mudipara village in Sherpur Sadar upazila told Jagonews: "The yield is good this time, but we may make a loss because labour costs are high. To encourage us to grow paddy, a fair price has to be ensured. Otherwise many people will not grow more paddy than they need themselves."

Billal Hossain of Mariamnagar in Jhenaigati upazila said: "I have grown paddy on 100 decimals of land. Labourers' wages have gone up to between Tk 1,000 and Tk 1,200, but paddy sells for Tk 800-900 a maund."

Jhenaigati upazila agriculture officer Farhad Hossain said a target of 14,600 hectares had been set for Boro cultivation this year and it is expected to be met. Paddy is ripening all around the upazila, and harvesting has started in low-lying areas.

On the labour shortage he said: "The shortage has arisen because the paddy has ripened in the fields all at once. With every farmer busy bringing in the crop, labourers are in demand and are naming their own price. But the crisis will pass soon."

Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Sherpur, told Jagonews that the district's Boro production target this year is 477,457 tonnes from 91,949 hectares. So far 70 per cent of the paddy has been cut.

On prices he said labourers' wages are somewhat high compared with the price of paddy. "We will soon start the Boro procurement drive from farmers. Farmers will then get the government rate of Tk 1,400 a maund," he said.

He added that Sherpur does not have enough combine harvesters. Where the machines are available, harvesting costs are much lower: cutting one acre with a combine harvester costs Tk 7,000, against about Tk 17,000 with hired labour.

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