Boro procurement
The government-declared Boro paddy procurement is in a mess. Boro farmers are at the mercy of private buyers and middlemen who are offering prices much below the government committed price, and this is happening because the government purchase scheme is yet to get off the ground in earnest. It was hoped the April decision would pave the way for the government to procure 1.3 million tonnes of paddy and rice directly from the growers. The problem is, as we understand, the district food officials have not received farmers' lists from agriculture officers at the grassroots. The lack of coordination between government agencies have put the entire procurement drive in jeopardy and there is the prospect of farmers being let down – again!
That some farmers in Lalmonirhat are being forced to sell harvested Boro at Tk12 per kilo, a price lower than the production cost and far below the government decision to procure the same at Tk23 per kilo is a disaster on two fronts. Failure to have a much-hyped procurement policy implemented properly will make such announcement seem hollow and risk turning farmers away from producing Boro, the most important staple, next season which will adversely affect our food security.
We find such a dismal performance by the government agencies disheartening, especially in light of the fact that farmers for years have been held hostage to powerful syndicates of middlemen and rice mill owners. It is time for agriculture officials to get their act together because failure is not really an option.
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