SHARANKHOLA, BAGERHAT, June 11: Farmers in Sharankhola Upazila are facing severe difficulties as government paddy procurement operations remain disrupted due to a persistent stockpiling crisis in local food warehouses.
The delay has left many farmers unable to sell their produce through official channels for about a week, forcing them into uncertainty and financial strain during the peak harvesting season.
According to local farmers, procurement activities that began 15 days after the official launch have been moving slowly, with only 56.12 tonnes of paddy collected against a target of 730 tonnes so far. The sluggish progress has raised concerns over government procurement efficiency.
Since May 24, the government has been running a paddy procurement drive. However, congestion at storage facilities, inadequate space, and strict procurement conditions have created complications for farmers trying to sell their harvest.
Due to heavy rains, many farmers are also struggling to dry and transport paddy from fields, further worsening the situation. As a result, some are being forced to sell their produce to middlemen at lower prices.
Farmers said that selling to government warehouses requires fulfilling multiple conditions related to cleanliness, moisture content and quality standards, which often take additional time and money to meet. With storage facilities unable to receive paddy regularly, procurement activities have slowed down significantly.
Md Kamrul Hasan, a farmer from Kadamtola Village in Sharankhola, said he has so far sold 57 maunds of paddy to government warehouses at Tk 1,440 per maund, while another 75 maunds remain unsold.
“I still have paddy ready for sale, but I cannot deliver due to storage issues. Continuous rain is also making it difficult to dry the crop properly,” he said.
Mizanur Rahman, president of the Sharankhola Upazila branch of the Bangladesh Sramik Kalyan Federation, said farmers from several unions have produced nearly 200 maunds per acre this season.
“We had planned to sell all paddy through government channels, but stockpile congestion has created delays. Many farmers are now unable to store their produce at home,” he said.
“If the situation continues for several more days, farmers will be forced to sell at lower prices, and the government’s procurement targets will also remain unfulfilled,” he added.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Debabrata Sarkar said that a total of 6,535 hectares of land in Sharankhola have been brought under paddy cultivation this season, with an estimated production of around 35,000 metric tonnes.
Food warehouse official Ashraful Islam said the procurement slowdown is mainly due to stock congestion, and the issue has been reported to higher authorities.
