Farmers unwilling to sell rice, paddy to govt godowns

RAJSHAHI, Feb 20: The Department of Food (DoF) in the district is again going to fail to collect paddy and rice from farmers this season.
According to the government target, the date for the collection of 4,600 metric tons (MT) of paddy and 7,711 MT of rice will end on February 28; only 854 MT of boiled and Atop rice has been collected.
According to field sources, DoF has no promptness in this connection. For the collection failure, it is blaming price difference between the government rate and market rate, miller's non-cooperation, and increased paddy price in the market.
On the other hand, farmers have declined to sell paddy to government godowns as they are getting fair prices of their produce in the market. They said, selling paddy in the market is very easy and hassle-free.
The price difference between the government rate and market rate is Tk 170 to 180. Farmers raised question why they will sell their paddy in lower prices.
According to DoF sources in Rajshahi, the paddy-rice collection time was fixed from November 7 last year to Feb 28 this year.
In the last Aman season, the Atop and boiled rice collection target was 12,015 MT. A total of 5,185 MT of rice was collected against the target. The reason behind the shortage of collection was the same, the sources said.
DoF also failed to collect paddy in the last Boro season (2019-2020). At that time, the total paddy collection was 579 MT against the target of 11,825 MT.
A wholesale trader Ismail Hossain said, farmers are not selling paddy at the government rate of Tk 26 per kg or Tk 1,040 per maund.
Getting higher prices in the market, they are not giving paddy to government godowns, he added.
In the open market, per maund paddy is selling at the lowest Tk 1,200 and the highest Tk 1,400.
Why they will lose about Tk 400 per maund? Farmers and traders questioned.
Assistant food control, collection and procurement officer of the District Food Control Department in Rajshahi Md Shahidar Rahman said, the food collection drive was bogged down as farmers were not normally interested in selling paddy at the rate of Tk 26 per kg.
In the last Aman season, collection target of 4,876 MT Atop and boiled rice and paddy collection target of 8,745 MT were achieved, he mentioned. Food Controller in Rajshahi Md Raihanul Kabir said, the present paddy price is farmer-oriented.
"They are not giving paddy to government godowns as price is higher in the market. It is the only one reason behind missing the collection target," he mentioned.
According to DoF in Rajshahi District, at present, the total food stock in the district is 3,057 MT rice and 433 MT wheat. The food stock was 20,199 MT rice and 1,060 MT wheat in the last year.
Sources concerned said, the paddy-rice collection has been impacted due to corona situation.