Delays in govt procurement irk Aman farmers

Although Aman paddy farmers are harvesting the crop in full swing, the government is yet to make good on its promise to buy the kitchen staple through a national procurement drive that began earlier this month.

The government inaugurated a countrywide paddy procurement drive through a virtual programme on November 7 in a bid to ensure fair prices for farmers.

However, officials of the district food department informed that a list has not been compiled yet of farmers eligible for supplying paddy to local supply depots as the upazila agriculture officers responsible have not been issued any directive.

Seeing nothing fruitful coming out of the drive announcement, small scale farmers have started selling their produce at local haats.

The food department officials of Nilphamari said they had fixed a target to procure 6,500 tonnes of paddy and 10,000 tonnes of rice at Tk 27 per kilogramme (kg) and Tk 40 per kg respectively in a drive that would likely conclude on February 28 next year.

Once enlisted, paddy farmers and rice millers would each be able to sell a maximum of three tonnes of their produce to local supply depots.

Procurement delays are nothing new as even in the recent past it took over a month to start a full-scale drive, according to Mokbul Hossain, president of a farmers' marketing group based in Jadurhat in Nilphamari sadar upazila.

"By this time, farmers usually have no paddy in hand as they are compelled to sell off their crops to hoarders and rice millers at low prices after harvests in a bid to pay off loans taken for cultivation and covering family expenses," he said.

Besides, the delays provide hoarders and millers the scope to strong-arm farmers into selling their crops at cheaper rates. They then stockpile the kitchen staple in huge amounts before supplying it to local supply depots once prices rise.

"I wanted to supply paddy to a local supply depot," said Atowar Rahman, a farmer of Angarpara village in sadar upazila.

"But since there was no development regarding my enrolment, I was forced to sell 10 maunds (one maund is about 37 kgs) of rice at a low price in order to pay off my debt," he said.

"When we bring paddy to the market, we helplessly depend on traders who offer low prices," said Ramzan Ali, a farmer of Uttor Gayabari village in Dimla upazila.

"Meanwhile the excess charges levied by market owners and cheating in the weighing process leads to big losses for us," he said.

In many cases it is even reported that a few lucky farmers who managed to bring their paddy to a local supply depot despite delays in government procurement are often harassed by local politically affiliated hoodlums.

In addition, local supply depot officials sometimes even refuse to accept the goods citing excess moisture levels.

The hoodlums then persuade or even force farmers to hand over their paddy and NID cards in exchange for a little profit and then sell their quotas to the local supply depots showing the identification cards as proof of being a listed farmer.

And although one simply needs to match the picture on the ID with the cardholder, a section of corrupt officials help them turning a blind eye to this issue.

Nazamul Huque Bhuyan, the Nilphamari district controller of food, said no paddy or rice has been collected from November 7 till yesterday.

"We cannot start the procurement as the list of eligible farmers is yet to reach our hands even though the committee concerned is supposed to play a prominent role in this regard," he added.

Bhuyan went on to say that another reason for the delay was that freshly harvested paddy usually have moisture levels exceeding the recommended 14 per cent, which is unsuitable for preservation.

"Still though, we are building new godowns so that we can procure more food grain in the future," he said.

Md Sekandar Ali, Dimla upazila agriculture officer, said his office was yet to receive any directive from the higher authority on compiling a final list of eligible farmers.

However, Abu Bakkar Siddique, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Nilphamari, said a list would be compiled in the shortest time possible as they have last year's list which just needs to be updated.

He, however, did not mention any specific deadline by which it would be completed.

"To ensure fair prices for farmers, the government should start the procurement process at the beginning of the harvesting season," said Atiar Rahman, secretary of a farmers' association in Nilphamari.

It should also increase the purchasing target to benefit a greater number of people, he said.