Boro Harvest in Rangpur Division: Farmers worry over fair price

With Boro paddy harvesting going on in full swing, farmers from eight districts under Rangpur division are now concerned whether they would get fair price for their produce so that they can recover their cost of production.

The production cost went up significantly this season due to the recent heatwave that swept across the country.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension in Dinajpur, Boro paddy was cultivated on around 1.74 lakh hectares of land in the district this year, while on 5.08 lakh hectares of land in five other districts in the division -- Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat.

So far, four percent of the paddy has been harvested since the beginning of May and the harvesting will continue till mid-June, said DAE officials.

Visiting different areas in Dinajpur recently, this correspondent saw a large number of labourers engaged in harvesting paddy from the crop fields in Chirirbandar, Parbatipur and Nawabganj upazilas.

The farmers are trying to harvest their paddy as early as possible before the monsoon starts.

Talking to this correspondent, farmers said they got better yield than they had expected, but the increased production cost has left them worried whether they would earn enough to recover the costs.

"Despite the hot spell and adverse weather conditions towards the end of Boro season, my paddy output on five bighas of land exceeded expectations. However, additional expenses for operating irrigation pumps and using medicines raised the cost considerably," said Latif Mia, a farmer of Razabasar village of Dinajpur's Parbatipur upazila.

"Unless we get fair prices for our produce in the market, it will be difficult to recover the costs borne for the cultivation," he added.

Shahidul Islam, a farmer of Sadullahpur village of Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur, echoed him.

Md Hamidul Rahman, additional director of DAE in Dinajpur, said they are expecting over 8 lakh tonnes of rice production from 1.74 lakh hectares of cultivated land in the district.

However, it seems the actual yield will exceed the target unless rain affects the paddy harvest, he added.

"Farmers had to spend more to irrigate their croplands during the heatwave, and use medicines to save the plants. As such, the production cost went up this season," said Md Reaz Uddin, depudy director of DAE in Rangpur.

He hoped that farmers would get a fair price for their produce.