Labour cost worries Boro growers

Although they got bumper production this year, Boro paddy growers in Ghior upazila are upset due to the high labour cost.

Many Boro growers in the upazila said they may not be able to reap paddy due to labour crisis. They are not getting one worker with the price of a maund (40 kilogram) of Boro paddy, they said.

Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) Ashraf Uzzaman Khan said Boro paddy was cultivated on 6,890 hectares of land in the current season, which is 100 hectares more than last year.

Boro growers got yield of six to eight tonnes per hectare, he said.

Various varieties of paddy were cultivated in Ghior this year, including HYV, local and hybrid, the UAO said, adding that Bridhan-29 and Bridhan-28 were the most cultivated ones. Varieties of improved Bridhan-58 were also cultivated, he added.

Paddy growers said one maund (of paddy is selling at Tk 650 to Tk 700 in the market, but the wage of one worker is Tk 600 to Tk 700 per day, plus two meals. The cost of cultivating one maund of paddy is around Tk 800. There is also the cost of irrigation, sapling, fertilizers and pesticides, they said.

The yield of paddy is good, but sharecroppers are very upset as they are not getting even their production costs, farmers said.

Monnaf Mia of Kellai village said he cultivated Boro on 240 decimals of other people's land and paid Tk 600 per head daily to labourers for reaping it.

“I cultivated Boro on 240 decimals of land. The production cost of one maund of paddy is around Tk 800 to Tk 850, but I have to sell it at a lower price,” said Kabir Khan of Rathura village in Baniajuri union.

UAO Ashraf Uzzaman Khan said everything was favourable for Boro cultivation this year. There was no problem with electricity, water, fertilizer or seeds, and there were no pest attacks, which is why paddy yields have been better, he said.

“Due to low prices of Boro paddy, I advise the farmers to store their paddy after drying it properly, as they will get good profit by selling it afterwards,” he said.