Pabna farmers worried over sharp fall in Boro price

PABNA, May 17: Due to sharp fall in price of Boro paddy in local markets, farmers of the district have become frustrated and worried about recouping the production cost.

Many farmers are returning home with their produce as they cannot sell it due the receding demand in the markets.

Despite high irrigation cost, high price of fertilisers, pesticides and labour cost the crop has grown abundantly. But the ill-fated farmers are being discouraged over not getting the fair price, some growers said.

The paddy is now being sold at Tk 450 to Tk 600 per maund against Tk 700 to Tk 760 only a week ago.

Pabna Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources said, a total of 57,316 hectares of land were brought under Boro paddy cultivation this season in all nine upazilas in the district with a production target of 2,21,161 tonnes of paddy.

Swapan Kumar Biswas, a farmer of Matebaria village under Maligasa union in Pabna sadar upazila said he had to spend Tk 17,000 to cultivate Boro paddy on two bighas of land including irrigation, labour, fertiliser, pesticides and other cost but earned Tk 13,400 selling the produce in the local market.

"The farmers of our village incurred heavy losses as they could not recoup the production cost due to sharp decline in price this season," he also said.

Farmer Abul Hossain of Thanthanya village under Sadar upazila said they are in trouble as they were bound to sell the crop to the middleman locally called 'Faria' at minimal prices. With this money they will have to meet family expenditures and repay the loan of different NGOs and commercial banks.

DAE deputy director of Pabna Bibhuti Bhooshon Sarkar said "There are over 0.3 million (3 lakh) farmers involved in paddy cultivation in nine upazilas of the district. Due to the present recession in prices farmers may become reluctant to cultivate the paddy next year.

    motiarfe@gmail.com