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The farmers of haor areas in Sunamganj are not getting fair price of Boro paddy in wholesale markets this harvesting season.
Local sources said, the unfair price of paddy has turned the haor farmers unhappy. They are now lamenting and passing days thinking about how they will incur losses.
"We pour out our hearts and sweat into the earth, watch the golden grains grow tall, yet their value withers. The government is also not fixing the prices, rending the farmer's labour worthless, making us think whether or not we will cultivate the land in the future."
Sajid Miah, a farmer from Tanguar Haor in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj, expressed his frustration over the price of paddy in this way.
"It costs about Tk 5,000-6,000 to cultivate 30 decimals of land without taking my own labour into account. Now the price of a maund of paddy is Tk 900, which does not match with the cost of cultivation."
Thousands of farmers in Sunamganj's haor areas like Sajid Miah are worried about the fair price of paddy.
It has been reported that Sunamganj is experiencing a bumper harvest of Boro paddy this year due to favourable weather conditions. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is optimistic about producing 13,70,000 tonnes of paddy from the cultivated 2,23,407 hectares. This harvest is valued at more than Tk 4,110 crore.
Meanwhile, farmers, including Sakil Ahmed and Jamir Ali of Matain Haor in the district, revealed that a syndicate of wholesalers in the haor fixed the price and bought themselves. Farmers are also selling at that price, depriving them of the fair price. Hence, the farmers are demanding that the government set the price of rice at the grassroots level.
When this correspondent visited various haors in the district he found that farmers and their children are busy harvesting the paddy, bringing it to the Khola (a space especially made to thrash the paddy), drying it, and storing it in the granary.
Farmers are forced to sell their paddy at the Khola to cover the cost of harvesting and other expenses. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the wholesalers form syndicates and reduce the prices while the farmers are rendered unable to sell at fair prices as they helplessly sell a maund of paddy to the syndicates for Tk 850-900.
When contacted, Bimol Chandra Shom, deputy director of the DAE in Sunamganj, said that more than half of the cultivated lands have already been harvested. All of the paddy will be harvested within 7-10 days.
Shafikul Islam, a farmer of Laxmansree union, Sadar upazila of Sunamganj said, “The price of paddy does not cover the cost a farmer incurs to cultivate 30 decimals of land. The wholesaler syndicate fixes the prices on their whim, entrapping the farmers. We are denied a fair price. Farmers would have benefited if they had received TK 1,500-1,600 per maund.”
According to Sunamganj Food Controller Mohammad Moynul Islam Bhuian, the food ministry has fixed the price and production target for paddy. However, the amount of paddy to be purchased at the district level is currently unknown.
Jamil Miah, a farmer of Korochar Haor in Bishwambarpur upazila said, "If the price of paddy had been fixed at the grassroots level, the farmers would have benefited. Effective steps need to be taken promptly; otherwise as farmers have been deprived for ages, they will be deprived further."
