SHERPUR, BOGURA, May 15: Farmers in Sherpur Upazila of Bogura are facing difficulties applying through a mobile app for the government's paddy procurement programme, as many growers unfamiliar with technology struggle with the process during the ongoing Boro harvesting season.
At the same time, farmers are busy harvesting paddy amid frequent rain and gusty winds, which are disrupting fieldwork and increasing production concerns.
Visits to different areas of the upazila on Saturday found harvesting and threshing work going on in full swing. Many farmers said the shortage of agricultural labourers and rising wages have worsened the situation, as many workers have shifted to other professions, including auto-rickshaw driving.
According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, Boro cultivation has been carried out on 20,485 hectares of land in the upazila during the 2025-26 fiscal year, with a production target of 86,864 metric tonnes.
Farmers said rain and strong winds have forced them to harvest ripe paddy quickly to avoid losses. In many fields, paddy plants have bent over due to bad weather, making harvesting more difficult amid the labour shortage.
Meanwhile, the government's app-based application system for selling paddy at fixed prices has become a new challenge for many farmers.
Farmer Firoz Ahmed, who wants to supply paddy to government warehouses, said he faced several complications while applying through the app at the food office. "I heard the problems will be solved later," he added.
Paddy trader Sharif said farmers are suffering losses as rain has caused paddy to fall onto the ground, while much of the straw is being left in the fields.
Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Habiba Akter said paddy yield has been very good this season. However, recent gusty winds caused around 25 hectares of paddy fields in the upazila to lodge.
"If there is enough sunshine, much of the paddy may stand upright again," she said, adding that a list of affected farmers is being prepared for possible government support.
She also said the agriculture office has received instructions from the District Food Controller's Office to prepare a list of interested farmers for paddy procurement.
Sources at the Upazila Food Controller's Office said the procurement target this season has been fixed at 1,960 metric tonnes of paddy and 1,949 metric tonnes of rice. Each farmer will be allowed to supply a maximum of three tonnes of paddy to government warehouses.
Upazila Food Controller Abdul Hannan Sheikh said applications are being received through the app, while lists are also being collected from the agriculture office. The final list of farmers will be selected through a lottery after coordinating old and new lists.
Farmers have also expressed dissatisfaction over current market prices of newly harvested paddy. They alleged that despite rising costs of diesel, irrigation, fertiliser, seeds and labour, they are not getting fair prices for their produce.
The Food Department said the government has decided to procure 500,000 tonnes of paddy at Tk 36 per kg and 100,000 metric tonnes of rice at Tk 48 per kg during the current Boro season. Procurement activities will continue until August 31.
