Traditional muri (puffed rice) producers of Baruikhali village in Bagerhat's Kachua upazila are facing a tough time, as machine-made puffed rice has flooded the market.

Baruikhali, a remote village in the district, is called 'Murigram' (puffed rice village). Once, more than a hundred families of this village used to make a living by handmade puffed rice. However, the number of families involved in the profession is decreasing yielding place to the item produced by machines.

In the last few years, at least 45 families have left the profession getting engaged in other professions. However, many people are sticking to this profession as they do not have the opportunity to switch to other professions.

Photo: Collected

Kamal Saha, who has been making handmade puffed rice for 35 years, said that the income generated from making puffed rice is hardly enough to bear the expenses of the family. That is why he has bought a van for his son to add to the income.

''Most of the people in our area used to make puffed rice once. The prices of paddy, wood, sand and earthen pots have gone up. But the price of puffed rice has not increased simultaneously. So, many of us have left the profession. On the other hand, most people buy packaged puffed rice of different brands as the price is cheaper than ours. So, our handmade muri is not sold as before," he said.

The production cost of per kg handmade muri stands at Tk 72-75. About 24 kg of puffed rice can be made from 40 kg of coarse rice costing Tk 1500-1550, he also said.

"I sell it to the wholesaler at Tk 90 per kg with a very little profit margin," he added.

Krishna Saha, another handmade puffed rice trader of the village, said, "I inherited the profession from my father and have been involved with the profession since my childhood. Earlier, I used to sell 10-12 maunds of puffed rice in two haat days. Now, I can't sell more than five-six maunds a week."

On the other hand, machine-made puffed rice has flooded the market reducing the demand for handmade puffed rice as the former is cheaper, he also said.

He urged the government to give them a soft loan at the beginning of the season so that they can buy coarse rice at a cheaper rate.

Subal Saha, who has left the profession, now pulls a rickshaw also cited similar reasons for his leaving the profession.

Not only Subal but also many others of Baruikhali area have left handmade puffed rice trading and gone to other professions.

Kachua Upazila Agriculture Officer KM Shahabuddin Ahmed said, "The puffed rice produced by the traders of Baruikhali is chemical-free. The demand for their produce has decreased due to the availability of machine-made puffed in the market. In addition, the price of coarse paddy has also gone up. We will take initiative to increase the cultivation of coarse paddy in this area for the benefit of the farmers."

Kachua Upazila Parishad Chairman Nazma Sarwar said the government has taken various initiatives for the expansion of small and cottage industries. Handmade puffed rice is the tradition of Kachua.

"We will work to preserve this tradition. We will cooperate with the traders in different ways including giving them soft loans," she added.