Despite the bumper yield of IRRI-Boro paddy in the current season across Sylhet region, the food department has reduced the paddy procurement target.
The Directorate General of Food (DGF) has set a target of procuring 35,536 tonnes of IRRI-Boro from four districts of Sylhet this year. The target was 62,638 tonnes last year.
Compared to last year, 27,102 tonnes less paddy will be procured from the region. The prices of paddy have been increased to Tk 30 per kg from last year’s Tk 28. The price amounts to Tk 1,200 per maund.
Main Uddin, the regional food controller of Sylhet, said the period of the procurement campaign has been set from May 7 to August 31 this year and it is currently ongoing.
A farmer can directly sell a minimum of 120 kg and a maximum of 3 tonnes paddy to the government food warehouse. As part of the Smart Bangladesh initiative, the government has also made a mobile application through which the farmers can sell paddy at government food warehouses.
In response to a question, Main Uddin said the low procurement target has been set centrally.
According to DGF, maximum of 17,483 tonnes of paddy will be collected from Sunamganj district within Sylhet region. Also, 6,645 tonnes of paddy will be collected from Sylhet district, 4,749 tonnes from Moulvibazar district and 6,659 tonnes from Habiganj district.
Among the 41 upazilas of the division, a maximum of 2,469 tonnes of paddy will be collected in Derai upazila of Sunamganj. And a minimum of 128 tonnes of paddy will be collected from Shayestaganj upazila of Habiganj.
On April 13, the price of paddy was increased from Tk 28 to Tk 30 per kg in a meeting of the government's Food Processing and Evaluation Committee (FPMC).
Farmers said that the cost of land cultivation has also increased due to the increase in the prices of agricultural materials, fertilisers and seeds. But the price of paddy has not increased accordingly.
Farmers are struggling to make a profit after dealing with the increased production cost. They demand increasing the price of paddy further and increasing procurement targets in the region.
The procurement targets set for different upazilas of Sylhet district are, 501 tonnes in Sadar, 416 tonnes in Dakshin Surma, 563 tonnes in Bishwanath, 628 tonnes in Balaganj, 511 tonnes in Osmaninagar, 319 tonnes in Fenchuganj, 595 tonnes in Golapganj, 464 tonnes in Beanibazar, 488 tonnes in Kanighat, 517 tonnes in Zakiganj, 416 tonnes in Jaintiapur, 755 in Gowainghat and 572 tonnes in Companiganj.
The procurement targets set for different upazilas of Sunamganj district are 1,235 tonnes in Sadar, 1,817 tonnes in Shantiganj, 951 tonnes in Dowarabazar, 1,128 tonnes in Chhatak, 1,635 tonnes in Jagannathpur, 2,469 tonnes in Derai, 1,831 tonnes in Shalla, 1,193 tonnes in Dharmapasha, 1,194 tonnes in Madhyanagar, 1,952 tonnes in Jamalganj, 1,292 tonnes in Tahirpur and 786 tonnes from Bishwambarpur.
The procurement targets set for different upazilas of Moulvibazar district are 789 tonnes in Sadar, 885 tonnes in Sreemangal, 669 tonnes in Kulaura, 478 tonnes in Juri, 418 tonnes in Barlekha, 1,137 tonnes in Rajnagar and 373 tonnes from Kamolganj.
The procurement targets set for different upazilas of Habiganj district are 545 tonnes in Sadar, 128 tonnes in Shayestaganj, 607 tonnes in Lakhai, 626 tonnes in Madhabpur, 637 tonnes in Chunarughat, 456 tonnes in Bahubal, 1,038 tonnes in Nabiganj, 1,829 tonnes in Baniachong and 793 tonnes in Ajmiriganj.
