SYLHET, Apr 30: A human chain, formed in Sunamganj Sadar upazila on Monday, urged the government to purchase paddy from the farmers directly.
A memo addressed to the Prime Minister was also handed over to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) in this connection.
Bangladesh Krishak Khet Mojur Sangram Parishad formed the human chain. Other demands include stopping harassment at the Land and Palli Bidyut offices who were issuing excess or 'fake' electricity bill in the district.
Moreover, paddy farmers in the area expressed utter disappointment over the poor yield. It is hard to manage harvest labourers for Tk 400 per day as the yield is very poor, they said.
A number of farmers in Biswambharpur upazila said the yield is almost half with about six maunds from a bigha of land.
It is not possible to spend much money for the harvest, farmer Anwar Mia of Sunamganj Sadar said, adding, "But we have no other option as the dried plants would be used as fodder during the monsoon."
An official at DAE, divisional office said on Tuesday about 51,848 hectares of paddy field in Sylhet district have been harvested while it is 26,645 hectares in Moulvibazar and 44,474 hectares in Habiganj district and 1,40,657 hectares in Sunamganj district.
The division's percentage stood at 55 per cent as Boro paddy is cultivated on a total of 478,869 hectares.
A number of farmers however said that they had cultivated BRRI-28 and BRRI-29 mainly for early harvest to avoid possible rains. But the plants were affected by 'blast' disease and by the hailstorms. Their production would be less than or around half, they added.
Meanwhile, officials of citizens' forum 'Haor Banchao, Sunamganj Banchao' said the government should look into the matter as the farmers had cultivated the early varieties like BRRI-28, BRRI-29 and BRRI-58, since DAE officials suggested. Their hopes are shattered already due to the poor yield.
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