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Farmers of Sylhet region are passing busy time harvesting Boro paddy. The unique scenery of harvest, drying and thrashing of paddy is common on the fields in all districts in the division.
A good number of women are working alongside males. On the other hand, use of combine harvester has been on the rise with saving time and money in the process of harvest.
About 2,000 combine harvesters are being used this time in the division, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The farmers are albeit happy saving about Tk 600 to 700 for harvesting one bigha of land in lesser time. However, they are in trouble with the farias and wholesale buyers, who are already on field buying paddy from the fields as well as from local markets from the producers at cheaper prices.
Presently, per maund paddy is being sold at Tk 900 on the harvest fields. Many marginal and share farmers may have to count loss even.
A DAE official told this correspondent that on average 45-per cent paddy had been harvested in the division. It will take another 10 to 15 days to finish the paddy harvest.
Per kg paddy price has been set for Tk 36 per kg, informed an official at the Sylhet divisional controller of food.
However, boiled rice would be bought from millers at Tk 49 per kg. The farmers will have to wait for days the government drive to begin.
They cannot wait for that since the poor and marginal peasants have to repay loan money and avert the
harassment. They are compelled to sell out the major part of the produce for repaying the dues taken earlier on interest.
As common practice in the haor upazilas of Sunamganj, the poor and marginal farmers took money in advance from the professional lenders at lower rates for one maund of paddy.
Accordingly, the farmers have to repay in paddy now. They have no other option than to sell the paddy on the harvest field to meet the expenses as well as to
repay the loans. On average, the farmers are bound to sell about 60 per cent of the produce on the field.
Farmers said many of them have to sell out the paddy to repay loans. About 200 traders are busy buying paddy at rural markets.
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