Fuel price hike puts char farmers under pressure at Rajarhat

*    No electricity, electric motors in chars 
*    Diesel-run shallow pumps the only option

*    Crop loss feared as croppers struggle to afford diesel for irrigation 

RAJARHAT, KURIGRAM, Sept 26: Aman paddy fields in the chars of Rajarhat Upazila are now bearing panicles, but farmers are worried rather than relieved.

The reason is simple: many of them cannot afford the diesel needed to irrigate their crops.

The residents of Char Bidyananda and Char Tayebkhan live surrounded by rivers, where farming remains their main source of livelihood. While they battle floodwaters during the monsoon, they struggle to grow crops on sandy land during the dry season.

Electricity has yet to reach these chars, leaving farmers with no access to electric irrigation pumps. They have to rely on diesel-run shallow pumps, and the recent increase in fuel prices has made irrigation more expensive.

Mansur Ali, 50, of Char Bidyananda, has cultivated Aman paddy using a shallow pump. He supports his family through farming and estimates that he needs about one barrel of diesel for irrigation during the Aman season and around two barrels during the dry season. One barrel contains about 159 litres of diesel.

Diesel previously cost Tk 115 a litre, meaning a 159-litre barrel cost about Tk 18,285. At the current price of Tk 135 a litre, the same amount costs about Tk 21,465 -- an additional Tk 3,180 per barrel.

Mansur's shallow pump is now lying in his yard. He has the machine, the land and the paddy plants, but lacks the money to buy fuel.

“All our farmland is in the chars. There is no electricity or electric motor there. The shallow pump is our only option. I don't have money in my pocket, so I brought the machine home. How can I buy fuel?” he said.

The higher fuel price is not their only concern. As the chars are surrounded by rivers, farmers also have to bear additional transportation costs at almost every stage of cultivation. They have to cross the river by boats fitted with shallow engines to reach their fields or bring fertiliser and seeds.

“The paddy has started producing panicles. If we cannot irrigate the fields now, all the work we have done so far will be wasted. How can we irrigate without diesel?” Mansur said.

He also described the difficulties of travelling from the chars.

“There are no roads in the chars. We need boats to cross the river. Around Tk 400 is spent on transportation and other expenses. Sometimes we cannot find a boat to return, so we have to stay overnight. Then we also have to pay for food and accommodation,” he said.
The fuel price hike is also affecting other farming costs. Farmers have to cross the river to buy fertiliser and seeds, and any increase in boat fares will further raise their expenses.

Shariful Islam, 40, of Char Tayebkhan, said, “Fuel prices have gone up, so boat fares will also increase. Irrigation costs will rise too. We also have to cross the river to buy fertiliser. That means we will have to pay more for travelling. Where will we farmers go?”

The impact of the fuel price hike can be directly calculated in terms of irrigation costs. With diesel becoming Tk 20 more expensive per litre, farmers now have to spend an additional Tk 3,180 for every 159-litre barrel. If two barrels are needed during the dry season, the additional diesel cost alone comes to Tk 6,360.

On top of that are boat fares, transportation costs for fertiliser and seeds, labour wages and the cost of carrying harvested crops. As a result, farmers' production costs are rising even before they can bring their paddy home.

Another farmer from Char Bidyananda, Khalilur Rahman, said boats were the only means of transport to and from the chars.

“When fuel prices rise, boat fares also go up. This will increase the cost of irrigation and transporting agricultural products,” he said.

For char farmers, the situation has become a major concern as their farming depends heavily on diesel-powered irrigation equipment. With no electricity, they have few alternatives.

Aman paddy is now swaying in the fields, and farmers are hoping to harvest their crops. But keeping that hope alive still requires irrigation -- and irrigation requires diesel.

On one side are ripening paddy panicles in the fields; on the other, shallow pumps lie idle in farmers' yards. Between them is only one obstacle -- the inability to afford fuel.

Rajarhat Upazila Agriculture Officer Tushar Kanti Roy said the government decides fuel prices and there is no subsidy arrangement for the matter.

“It will certainly affect agriculture. There will inevitably be some temporary hardship. If fuel prices come down, the pressure will ease,” he said.