Farmers of Haor are in trouble with discolored rice, they are not getting the price
Photo Collected
Farmer Atiqur Rahman of Gopdighi area of the upazila cultivated Boro paddy on four bigha of land on credit and loan in Khairkanda Haor of Mithamin, a remote area of Kishoreganj. The paddy of his three bigha land is submerged in water. One bigha of paddy land has been cut under the water somehow. But he couldn’t dry that paddy because he didn’t get good sun all the time. So the color of the rice is lost. In order to sell that rice, he came to the seaport of Karimganj and wandered around.
Farmer Atikur said, “I did not dry the paddy properly because I did not get good sun in time.” The color has faded and darkened a bit. The traders are now selling that paddy at 400 to 450 taka. It seems that I have done wrong by planting rice. After bringing 100 sacks of paddy from afar, it seems that now the boat hire and the laborers who pull the sacks have to be paid. And I have done all the trouble.’
বিজ্ঞাপন
According to the farmers, the price of everything in the country increases, not only the price of the farmer’s rice. It costs more than 1200 taka to grow one maund of paddy and it has to be sold for 400 to 1000 taka.
Dulu Mia, a farmer of Itna Mriga area, said that the farmers of Kishoreganj Haor have been able to take the rice, most of it has lost its color. Now they are in trouble with these discolored rice. Farmers are forced to sell paddy at Tk 400. And the highest quality dry paddy is being sold for 1 thousand to 1 thousand 50 taka. But 1 thousand 440 rupees of rice is being bought by the government. Now the question is how many people are getting this opportunity to sell rice officially and how many people have been able to thresh clean rice for official sale?
বিজ্ঞাপন
The mouth of Haor area of Kishoreganj is the leather port of Karimganj. Where thousands of maunds of paddy from Haor were sold daily. Paddy was supplied to the chatals of different districts of the country from here. And depending on the paddy of the vast area of Kishoreganj, at this time of the year, about 40 docks of leather sit in the seaport. The farmers used to bring the wet and dry rice sacks of the hard-earned land in small and big boats to the leather ghats. Artadars buy these paddy and send them to the big drivers of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Sherpur, Jamalpur and other districts in trucks. But this time the picture is different. Although some paddy came in the beginning, since the rains started, the farmers have also become depressed. Not being able to buy paddy even after sitting all day, many people have stopped farming.
Last Saturday, it can be seen on the ground, a few shelters built on the banks of Nagchinni river in Karimganj in the area of the leather port. Many houses are lying empty.
A trader named Sohag Mia said that last year at this time, he could buy several thousand maunds of paddy, but now he cannot buy 500 maunds of paddy throughout the day. Farmers beat the paddy and the business of Artaddars is over.
Another dealer named Al Amin said, now they are buying paddy from 400 to 1 thousand 50 taka. This difference in the price of paddy is determined by the standard. Because, most of the paddy that is coming from Howar region is discolored and half rotten.
A few paddy-laden boats can be seen anchored on the banks of the river. Workers are carrying rice sacks on their heads from boats moored on the banks of the river. The sacks of rice are being filled in trucks from Aarat and sent to different parts of the country.
Deputy Director of Kishoreganj Agricultural Extension Department. Sadiqur Rahman said, ‘In Kishoreganj till Monday, 99% of paddy has been harvested in Haor and 83% in non-Haor. About 47 thousand farmers have been affected due to heavy rains and floods. The field level list has been sent to the district administration on our behalf. They will verify the affected list and send it to the Ministry of Relief and Disaster.
According to the sources of District Food Controller’s office, during Boro season, the government is directly collecting 1 thousand 440 taka of paddy and 49 taka of rice from the farmers at the rate of 36 taka per kg. In the current season, a total of 18 thousand 330 tons of paddy collection target has been set in Kishoreganj district. Out of this, 676 tons of paddy has been collected till Monday. And the target of rice collection has been set at 23 thousand 324 tons. Out of this, 3 thousand 829 tons have been collected till Monday.
Assistant Food Controller of Kishoreganj District. Mosharraf Hossain said that the paddy collection campaign has started on May 3, which will continue until August 31. In this the target will be met. However, no discolored or wet paddy is being taken from the farmers. Only sparkling clean and dry paddy is harvested.
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