Food dept to procure 9,000 tonnes of Boro from Sunamganj, Habiganj

Iqbal Siddiquee

SYLHET, May 19: The Food Department will procure 9,000 tonnes of Boro from only two districts of Sylhet division this season. The target includes 6,000 from Sunamganj and 3,000 tonnes from Habiganj district, informed Regional Controller of Food, Sylhet division, Md Anisuzzaman.

However, he couldn't say anything why the Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts are dropped from the procurement drive this season although the whole region had got a good yield of the crop.

Besides, over 14,000 tonnes of rice had been procured this season against the target of about 29,000 tonnes from the millers only.

Meanwhile, the locals, including farmers and social leaders in Sunamganj demanded a higher quantity should be purchased since there had been a good yield of the crop this year. If the government fails to procure the highest quantity, the produce would go to the hoarders as the poor and marginal farmers would have to sell their paddy to the middlemen, they apprehended.

About 325,000 farmers of Sunamganj district only cultivated Boro paddy on 223,000 hectares and yielded a good crop of about 1.2 million tonnes. The Deputy Commissioner and the District controller of Food had also wrote the government to set the district's paddy procurement target at 30,000 tonnes, but there had been no change in the target, sources informed.

Habibur Rahman of Derai upazila said, "A farmer got 500 maunds of paddy of which 80 per cent would have to be sold out soon. We are waiting when the government would start the drive to help the farmers."

Another farmer from Tahirpur said, "Due to cloudy weather amid rain, a good quantity of my produce had got germinated. But it had been saved as there was sunshine during the last four days." Already some syndicated groups of middlemen have started buying paddy from markets. They are buying coarse varieties at Tk 600 per maund while it is around Tk 700 for BRRI-28 variety, the farmer said. "We want the government should purchase highest quantity of paddy as early as possible", he added.

Krishak Sangram Samity leader Khairul Bashsar said the government decision to buy only 6,000 tonnes is just a wrong. It would keep the grain market under the control of middlemen.

"We urge the government to enhance the target and price. Otherwise, the market price would be too low due to syndication by large traders", he added.

President of Haor Banchao, Sunamganj Banchao Bazlul Mazid Khosru said the 6000 tonnes of procurement target is poor. The Food Department should revise the target immediately and raise the price. Otherwise, the poor and middle class farmers would be in much trouble.

District Controller of Food, Sunamganj Md Zakaria Mostafa said, "We would start buying paddy within two to three days. A farmer would sell highest 1.0 tonne at the rate of Tk 26 per kg."

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