Despite a target of collecting 748 metric tons of paddy in 40 days, Kurigram's Fulbari upazila has yet to collect even a single unit.
However, 700 metric tons of rice have been successfully collected from local mill owners, according to officials.
Farmers are reluctant to sell paddy to government food warehouses due to lower prices and alleged harassment. While the government-set price for paddy is 33 taka per kilogram, local markets offer rates between 35 and 37 taka, making it more profitable for farmers to sell in the local market.
The paddy and rice procurement drive, which began on November 17 and is scheduled to continue until February 28, aims to collect 795 metric tons of parboiled rice, 84 metric tons of atap rice, and 748 metric tons of paddy in the upazila.
Agreements were signed with 19 rice mill owners in the upazila to supply the rice, of which 700 metric tons have been delivered as of January 15. However, not a single kilogram of paddy has been collected.
Altaf Ali Sarkar, the owner of Ashik Rice Mill, shared his struggles: "I was allocated 11 metric tons of rice, and I delivered it to the government warehouse despite challenges. But with higher paddy prices in the local market, farmers are unwilling to sell to government warehouses."
Mohammad Ali Hossain, president of the Upazila Rice Mill Owners Association, added, "Many mill owners have temporarily shut down their operations because of the price disparity. Farmers, retailers, and mill owners are unwilling to incur losses by selling paddy at the government rate."
Upazila acting food officer Abdul Awal expressed his concerns, saying, "We are trying our best to collect paddy and rice. While 700 metric tons of rice have been collected, we have yet to collect a single unit of paddy."
Food controller Hamidul Islam also emphasized the challenges: "The government policy stipulates collecting paddy directly from farmers but higher market rates and procedural difficulties have discouraged them. We have reported the issue to higher authorities."
