Price frustrates Naogaon, Tangail, Nilphamari Boro cultivators

NAOGAON, May 13: Boro farmers in the district are frustrated over the present market price.

Peasants in 11 upazilas cultivated the rice amid favourable climate condition.

Boro paddy is selling at Tk 550 to Tk 650 per maund as per variety and quality while its production cost ranged from Tk 750 to Tk 900.

According to the sources at Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), around 1,90,000 hectares of land had been brought under cultivation of Boro paddy this year under eleven upazilas of the district against the official target of 1,88,186 hectares.

One Mokhlesur Rahman under Mohadevpur upazila said he cultivated different varieties of Boro on 1.5 acres of land with much expectation.

"But, I am frustrated due to market price of the produce which is much below my expectation," he added.

Farmer Jahidur Rahman under Patnitala upazila informed he is very upset over this year's cultivation as he was unable to recover the production cost.

"Some of the growers of my area are not harvesting the paddy as they cannot afford the cost of labour and other processing," he added.

Officials of Naogaon DAE said the government needs to immediately take the decision to procure the Boro paddy directly from farmers at a profitable price.

Otherwise, it will have a serious negative impact on the cultivation of Aus and Aman paddy in the upcoming seasons, he added.

Our Tangail correspondent adds: Boro growers in the district have started harvesting their produce with an expectation to achieve a bumper yield.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said Boro was cultivated on 1,66,692 hectares of land across the district and the production target has been set at 6,533,65 tonnes.

Nargis Akhter, sub-assistant agriculture officer of DAE, said harvest is going on in full swing. Around 30 per cent paddy harvest has already been completed.

It may take 15 more days for final completion, the official added.

Some growers told this correspondent that they have been suffering from acute labour shortage which was delaying the harvest.

"Labour cost is extremely high. Paying a worker Tk 550 to Tk 600 for a day is tough for us", some growers said.

Another DAE official Shariful Islam said, "Growers are hopeful of getting a bumper production of their produce. We provided all necessary support to the farmers in this connection."

Paddy trader Moyezuddin of Silimpur Bazar under Tangail Sadar said newly-harvested Boro paddy has started appearing in the local market.

When he was asked about the price, the trader said it is selling at a low rate.

Our correspondent from Nilphamari said, Boro harvest is going on in full swing in the district.

Most of the farmers will cultivate Aman rice on the same land after harvesting Boro.

According to the DAE officials, over 79,443 hectares of land were come under the cultivation of Boro this season with the production target of 3,29,671 tonnes.

Among the total area, hybrid variety was cultivated on 2,6710 hectares of land and upshi was in 52,733 hectares, DAE sources added.

Meanwhile, UNB adds: A farmer set his Boro paddy field on fire protesting the paddy price fall and the serious scarcity of day labourers in the district on Sunday noon.

Farmer Abdul Malek Shikder enacted this unique act of protest at Bankina village in Kalahati upazila.

Malek said per maund paddy is being sold at Tk 500 while the cost of per maund paddy production is over Tk 1,000. The district farmers have been facing serious scarcity of day labourers and their price per day is Tk 800 to 850.