Share-croppers, marginal farmers bear the brunt

Recently harvested aman rice arrives abundantly in local markets of Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts but the prices continue to fall due to transport problem amid weeklong countrywide blockade sponsored by BNP-led 18-party alliance. The photo was taken from Khochabari Hat in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila on Wednesday. PHOTO: STAR

Good yield of aman paddy fails to make the growers of Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts happy as the prices continue to fall amid the transportation problem caused by countrywide hartals and blockades sponsored by BNP-led 18-party alliance.
Especially the share-croppers, marginal and small farmers are counting loses as they have to sell their produces to manage expenses for cultivating robi-crop including wheat, potato in the ongoing peak cultivation season.
Besides, a section of unscrupulous traders have raised prices of agro-inputs like seeds and fertilisers, taking advantage of the frequent blockades.
During a visit to different local markets including Salondar, Bhulli and Farabari Bazar in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila and Boda, Moidandighi hats under Boda upazila in Panchagarh district, this correspondent saw the small farmers sold aman paddy for prices lower than only a couple of days ago.
"Nine days ago, I sold 15 maunds of paddy at Tk 750 per maund. But now the price has reduced to Tk 675. But we have to sell paddy to manage expenses of potato cultivation," Salekul Islam, 45, of Kochubari village under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, told this correspondent at Salondar Hat on Monday afternoon.
Abdul Matin, 47, a small farmer of Jomadarpara village in Boda upazila under Panchagarh, said at Boda Paddy Market on Wednesday, "Continuous blockade for a week has led to fall aman paddy price by Tk 100-150 per maund. Besides we have to buy fertiliser and seeds with high price as the traders hiked price on the pretext of supply shortage."
Taking the opportunity of small farmers' helpless situation and obstruction in carrying goods due to blockade, some local traders are hoarding huge paddy after buying it for low price, markets sources alleged.
Mohammad Asaduzzaman, a paddy trader of Boda, said the aman paddy price has continued decreasing as supply to other districts including Bogra, Natore and Dhaka remained virtually suspended due to blockades.
According to sources of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), farmers had cultivated aman paddy on 1 lakh 32 thousand 600 hectares of land against the target of 1 lakh 24 thousand 219 hectares with a production target of 3 lakh 35 thousand 496 tonnes.
The farmers have already harvested paddy on 1 lakh 30 thousand 20 hectares and got 3 lakh 74 thousand 458 tonnes of the crop.
In Panchagarh, 90,066 hectares of land had been brought under aman cultivation against the target of 86,123 hectares with a production target of 2 lakh 31 thousand 49 tonnes.
About 2 lakh 48 thousand 909 tonnes of aman rice has been got by harvesting crops of 87,943 hectares till Wednesday.