The growers of rice are not getting fair price due to the millers and a section of government officials though the government has fixed the price at Taka 36 per kilograms(KG). Meanwhile though the Food Ministry has started purchasing paddy but the highhandedness of the middlemen have created a crisis in the market. As the cultivation of Boro has exceeded the target the price of paddy is not increasing to that expectation. In this case the government is planning to export rice after meeting the local demand.
In the Boro season about fifty percent paddy has already been harvested. But there is an allegation that the farmers are not getting actual price even the production cost. In the just concluded season the production cost of rice incurred Taka 800 to 900 per maund. But in the market it is selling at Taka 500 to Taka 550 per maund. So the loss is Taka 300 to Taka 350 per maund. Though the cost of paddy is such drastically low the coarse rice in the market is selling at Taka 1600 per maund. So this huge margin is being eaten up by the middle men.
The farmers incurred certain loss due to Fani’s strong wind when it damaged some loss to the Boro paddy but immediate after that crisis the farmers are facing the wrath of middlemen. The government is purchasing paddy from the millers rather from the farmers. So the middlemen are getting scope of exploiting the farmers.
However two ministers have met the Prime Minister to check the high handedness of the middlemen. They informed the Prime Minister regarding rice export policy.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension in the current season Boro was cultivated on 48 lakh 42 hectares of land. Of these hi breed was cultivated on 8 lakh 50 thousand hectares, high yielding variety(HYV) paddy on 39 lakh 60 thousand hectares and local variety was cultivated on 32 thousand hectares.
In Boro cultivation Rajshahi, Mymenshing, Rangpur, Jashore, Barisal and Chattogram region are at the top. In harvesting the Boro paddy the hawor area is in advanced position. In seven districts of hawor area cent percent paddy have been harvested by this time. About 90 percent paddy of the southern districts was harvested so far. However the harvesting did not progress in the northern districts and also in Mymenshing and Cumilla region.
Agriculture Minister Dr. Abdur Razzaque speaking on the prevailing crisis told Barta24.com that though government purchase rate is Taka 36 per kg the farmers are not getting that price. Meanwhile Ministry of Food purchased rice from the hawor area. The procurement policy of the government will not function this year due to the increased production Boro.
Regarding rice export the Minister said as all the policies failed to increase the price in the local market, the Government is mulling to export it. He also disclosed alternative crop to paddy farming.
On the other hand the Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar told in a function of rice and paddy purchasing in Sirajganj that government is planning to export rice.
He further told that it must be looked into closely so that it creates impact in the market. No irregularities will be tolerated in this case of procurement. It must be watched closely so that the middlemen cannot take any undue benefit from this procurement campaign.
The officials of the Agriculture Ministry said that paddy of the most areas have ripen. But due to labor crisis the harvesting is stalled. Now the farmer is not getting one labor by selling one maund of paddy.
Paddy harvesting machine is a solution in this crisis which performs the work of one hundred labors. In this case the subsidy of government should be enhanced to help the farmers to purchase the machine. Moreover if subsidy is increased in fertilizer, seed and in irrigation the paddy production cost will come down.
Farmer Abu Kalam of village Chutlia under Jheniedah Sadar upazilla told Barta24.com that in this year the total harvesting cost of paddy in each bigha has amounted to Taka 16000 to Taka 17000 while we are getting Taka 20,000 by selling 30 maunds of paddy in the market.
According to the source of Food directorate, government this year has planned to purchase 12 lakh 50 thousand tons of rice. The total quantity will include 10 lakh ton boiled while 1.5 lakh ton of ‘atap’ rice. Besides, it will procure 1.5 lakh ton paddy. The paddy procurement rate has been fixed at Taka 26 per kg while boiled rice at 36 and ‘atap’ rice at Taka 35 per kg. The procurement which has begun from April 25 will continue till August 31.