Farmers of Dinajpur yesterday demanded that the government procure rice and paddy directly from farmers instead of middlemen and mill operators.

They made the demand at a press conference organised by Dinajpur unit of Jatiya Krishak Khetmajur Samity at Dinajpur Press Club yesterday.

They also urged the government to ensure fair price of paddy, direct procurement of paddy from farmers, affordable prices of agricultural inputs, rationing system for both urban and rural people, free irrigation facility and interest-free agriculture loan.

At the conference, farmers said low price of their produce this year is unprecedented. "We are selling paddy at Tk 350 to Tk 400 per maund, whereas the production cost for the same amount of paddy is Tk 650 to Tk 700," they said.

Farmers across the country had suffered huge loss due to countrywide political deadlock from January to March, they said, urging the government to procure more rice from them.

Bikash Roy, general secretary of the samity, read out the keynote paper at the conference.