Farmers in Thakurgaon began cutting Aman paddy with great enthusiasm, but paddy prices have dampened that joy. At current market prices, far from making a profit, they cannot even recover their production costs, and they are worried.

Thakurgaon is one of the country's main paddy-producing districts. As every year, farmers have started harvesting early Aman, but they are in despair once they take it to market. Despite an unexpectedly good yield, there are no smiles. While government stores are buying paddy at Tk 1,200 a maund, in the market farmers must sell at Tk 800 to 900.

Farmers say production costs have risen several times over, from diesel, fertiliser and pesticide to labour wages. With low paddy prices, they feel helpless.

Serekul Islam, who came to sell paddy at Gareya market in Sadar upazila, said: "I sold 3 maunds at Tk 800 a maund for Tk 2,400. I am disappointed with this price. Production costs are higher than last year. If it's this low, how will we survive? Without a fair price, I won't be able to repay my loan again this year."

Farmers said that in the last Boro season the production cost for one bigha (50 decimals) was Tk 16,000 to 18,000. For Aman this year it has risen to Tk 22,000 to 23,000. Irrigation costs alone have risen by about Tk 1,000 to 1,500 a bigha because of dearer diesel, and seed, fertiliser and pesticide had to be bought at high prices. Wages, threshing and transport costs have also risen several times over.

Although the price of everything has risen in several rounds, farmers are not getting a fair price for paddy and are having to sell below the cost of production.

Mizanur, a farmer from Jagannathpur union, said: "This time 50 decimals cost me Tk 23,000, and I got 25 maunds of paddy. I sold the wet paddy at Tk 900 a maund for Tk 22,500. By that count I made a loss of Tk 500. Those who farm land as sharecroppers will sink into debt this time."

Sirajul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Thakurgaon, said this year's target for transplanted Aman was 4 lakh 75 thousand 910 tonnes, and transplanted Aman was produced on 1 lakh 37 thousand 150 hectares. The yield has met expectations, but production costs are higher than last year. Harvesting and threshing are now under way. "Once government procurement begins, the market price of paddy will rise," he said.

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