SIRAJGANJ, May 19: Farmers of the district are frustrated over low price of paddy this season.
In Solonga, the largest wholesale paddy market of the North Bengal, about 3,000 to 5,000 maunds of paddy daily and about 10,000 to 15,000 maunds of paddy on haat days are imported. But, the price of paddy is low.
Though the government fixed the price of per maund paddy at Tk 1,040, the farmers have been compelled to sell it at Tk 520 to 650. As a result, the farmers are counting Tk 300 to 500 losses per maund. About 6,000 maunds of paddy are sold in this haat daily, and the farmers are counting losses worth about Tk 50 lakh. Farmers from Tarash, Ullahpara and Shahzadpur upazilas of Sirajganj, Gurudaspur, Singra, Bhangura and Chatmohor upazilas of Natore, and Sherpur and Nandigram upazilas of Bogura bring paddy to Solonga wholesale market. The millers buy paddy directly from this haat.
The price of paddy fluctuates here daily as per demand. So, the farmers cannot sell the paddy at their expected price. They cannot cover the production cost with this selling price.
While visiting Chandaikona and Pangashi haats in Raiganj Upazila and Shamespur Haat in Belkuchi Upazila, the same picture was found.
Farmer Fatik Chan of Subarnagati Village under Brahmagachha Union in Raiganj Upazila said, "I cultivated paddy on 15 bighas of land this year and got 16 to 20 maunds per bigha. I had to spend Tk 10,000 to 12,000 per bigha. I had to sell per maund paddy at Tk 520 to 650 to wholesalers. I have heard that the government has fixed the price of per maund paddy at Tk 1,040. But, we cannot sell the paddy at that rate. If the government would buy paddy directly from us, we would be benefitted."
While talked, farmer Kismat and Shajahan Ali at Solonga Haat said, "We each cultivated Boro on five bighas of land. We had to spend Tk 10,000 to 12,000 on various purposes. We got yield of 15 to 18 maunds per bigha. The paddy is selling at Tk 530 to 600 per maund in the market. We are counting loss worth Tk 4,000 to 6,000 per bigha."
Wholesaler at Solonga Haat Abdul Mannan said, "I'm buying per maund wet paddy at Tk 530 to 550 and dry one at Tk 650 to 700. The price of per maund paddy is Tk 150 to 200 less than the last year."
District Chatal Mill Owners' Association President Motaleb Hossen said, the government should stop importing rice to solve the crisis. Besides, the government should buy paddy double the current quantity. Government purchase centres should be set up at each haat to buy paddy directly from farmers.
District Food Controller Md Mizanur Rahman said there is no need to open purchase centre at each haat as there are godowns in each upazila. If the farmers sell paddy to the godowns directly, they will get fair price.
Sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension said Boro paddy was cultivated on 1.41 lakh hectares of land in the district this year. The production target was 5,56,950 metric tons. The government will buy total 5,883 MT of paddy at Tk 26 per kg in the district this year.
In this connection, Deputy Director of district DAE Md Habibul Haque said, "Our farmers spend extra for harvesting paddy. If they can use harvester machine, they can save Tk 3,000 to 4,000 per bigha. The government has a plan to distribute high quality seed and harvester machine to the farmers."
