BADC contract growers protest ‘unfair’ price of wheat seed

Contract wheat growers of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) formed a human chain at Thakurgaon Intersection in the town yesterday protesting fixing of ‘unreasonably low’ price for seed procurement from them.

The growers are frustrated as the BADC authorities have fixed the procurement price of wheat seed at Tk 32 per kg this year, which is Tk 3 lower than the previous year’s, speakers said at a discussion after the human chain programme.

The wheat growers will have to count huge losses and they will lose interest in wheat cultivation if the decision is not revoked, they said.

Traditionally BADC authorities give the contract growers thirty per cent higher price than the government’s usual rate for procuring certified foundation wheat seeds from contract growers but this season the rule has not been followed, they said.

This year the government has fixed procurement price at Tk 28 per kg. Accordingly, the BADC should have fixed price Tk 36.40 per kg.

The growers demanded re-fixing of the price in line with the traditional system.

They warned of launching a tougher movement if the authorities fail to meet the demand.

About 1800 contract growers produced about 20,000 thousand tonnes of wheat on 5,000 hectares of land in three wheat seed cultivation zones of BADC in Thakurgaon this year and of it, 8,100 tonnes of wheat seeds has been procured by the corporation.