Low prices of Aman paddy

Low price of Aman paddy is frustrating Benapole and Magura Aman farmers. Newly harvested Aman paddy has started to appear the market. But low price is frustrating the growers. In this situation growers are demanding immediate move to start Aman procurement drive.
A Correspondent from Benapole reports: Low prices of Aman paddy have wrecked the joy of Nobanno Utshob as farmers are incurring huge loss and hardly making any profit in the current Aman season in the southern region.
Nobanno Utshob, a festival of harvesting new crops, is a beautiful event in the life of Bengali people, especially in the life of the farmers who work hard to grow crops and wait for their harvest time with great hope in their hearts.
But the farmer could not meet the production cost after selling paddy grown by them though the rice price at the customer level did not decrease.
Aman is the second biggest crop out of the three rice crops produced by growers in a year, accounting roughly 40 per cent of the total production.
The celebration of this festival of bringing new crops home has been an inseparable part of Bengali tradition.
A change in the air and with eye-catching sights of golden coloured paddy fields gives the signal of Hemanta.
Aman is the harvest for which the farmers would wait the whole year. The 'Aman' crops ripen in Kartik to Agrahayon.
A farmer's fate would be determined in the month of Kartik because a good harvest in this month meant that the family of a farmer was safe for one more year. And as soon as the Aman crop would be ready for harvest in Kartik, with pleasant weather and surplus food grains, rural Bengal used to be very happy.
In the past, farmers celebrated this festival in different ways. The families of the farmers would celebrate the occasion by preparing different kinds of food items, eating those tasty foods made from new crops and offering them to their neighbours as well.
But, all of their happiness has been spoilt as they are not getting fair price of their paddy after witnessing a good production this year.
Farmers are witnessing bumper production of Aman rice this year due to favourable weather condition.
Coarse paddy is now trading at Tk 500-Tk 550 per maund in various areas in the northwest, in contrast to Tk 650-Tk 720 a year ago. At this rate, farmers are unlikely to make any profit, said some growers and traders.
Farmers also apprehend that the price will fall further as more Aman paddy will appear in the market soon after harvest.
The DAE officials said 7,64,175 hectares were brought under Aman cultivation with a production of target 18,33,512 tones of rice in the ten districts of the region.
Of the total, 1,37,600 hectares with the production target of 3,50,760 tonnes were brought under cultivation in Jashore, 29,700 hectares for 69,900 tonnes in Narail, 47,300 hectares for 1,19,910 tonnes in Magura, 90,100 hectares for 2,32,340 tonnes in Jhenidah, 75,500 hectares for 1,94,200 tonnes in Kushtia, 24,900 hectares for 63,770 tonnes in Meherpur, 47,100 hectares for 1,20,810 tonnes in Chuadanga, 1,00,500 hectares for 2,21,530 tonnes in Khulna, 1,07,475 hectares for 2,74,572 tonnes in Satkhira and 1,04,000 hectares for 1,85,720 tonnes in Bagerhat district.
Mohammad Bazlul Haque Mia, DAE's additional director for Jashore region, attributed the bumper output to favourable climatic condition and adequate supply of necessary fertilisers and pesticides.
Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB), other state and private banks had disbursed adequate crop loans to make paddy cultivation a success in the region.
Bablur Rahman, a farmer from Jashore district said, the production cost of Aman paddy is higher this year but the prices are lower.
"We had to spend for irrigation in the face of scanty rainfall this year," he said, adding that the prices of pesticides were also higher this season. He said, "If the paddy prices do not increase, there will not be any profit for us."
A syndicate of the millers and their allied traders during the peak harvesting season is bagging paddy from farmers in low price. Farmers claimed that millers are purchasing paddy from farmers without giving fair prices.
A Correspondent from Magura reports: Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Magura sources informed, they brought 61,570 hectares under Aman cultivation. A bumper production has been achieved which is 2,40,060 metric tonnes rice.
Bashir Mian, a farmer of village Goalbathan under Magura sadar upazila told, this year I brought three bighas of land under Aman cultivation and I have harvested about 50 maund paddy.
At present paddy is being sold in the local market at tk 15 per kg. But government has decided to purchase paddy under Aman drive at tk 26 per kg. I am waiting for government procurement drive so that I can get fair price of my paddy.
Krishna Pada, a farmer of village Jagla under Magura sadar upazila said, I have harvested about 100 maund Aman paddy. Paddy is now being sold in the local market at Tk 650 per maund. The price does not cover the production cost
But I am owe to local money lenders and they are giving me pressure to repay my loan. Unless government procurement drive starts immediately I shall be compelled to sell my paddy in the local market at a low price.
When contacted, Shafiqur Rahman executive director of Palli Prokriti (an agriculture-based NGO) said, government should start Aman procurement drive right now, otherwise farmers will be deprived of benefit of procurement drive.
Unless we can ensure fair price of paddy, farmers will be discouraged (in growing paddy).
Then the country can face paddy crisis like existing onion crisis, he said.
When contacted district food controller Moinul Islam said, we have completed almost every processing for starting Aman procurement drive which will be started very soon.
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