Boro farmers not getting back production cost

Staff Reporter :
As the record increase of the boro cultivation costs, the current wholesale prices of boro paddy this year do not even cover the production cost of the famers.
Because of the spike in the cost of farm inputs, including irrigation, diesel, fertiliser, pesticides and labour, agri experts estimated the production cost per maund (40 kg) of boro paddy is about taka 1,150.

On the other hand, considering different rate in different areas, it is known that Boro paddy (coarse paddy) is being sold at the rate of Tk 900 to Tk 1,200 per maund, representing that the , farmers worry over fair prices of paddy become true.

The low prices of boro this year have thrown the hard-working farmers into an insurmountable crisis of irreparable financial loss.
Farmers say that, the per Bigha (33 decimal) average cost of production boro was between Tk 13,000 to 14,000. However this year it has increased by Tk 4,000 and Tk 5,000 due to the rising cost of irrigation, fertiliser, pesticides , wages, threshing and transportation.
They claimed that the price of boro paddy is not the fair price, they expected.
Collecting data from districts including Rangpur, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Kushtia, haor areas it is seen that Seasonal Birridhan-29 paddy is selling at Tk 900-1050 per maund (40kg). As a result, farmers are left in the lurch where only millers and traders will take the monetary benefits, once again.
Earlier, on 13 April after a meeting of the Food Planning and Procurement Committee, it has been announced that the government will procure 4 lakh tonnes of paddy at Tk30 per kg and 12.5 lakh tonnes of rice rice at Tk 44 per kilogram during this Boro season. The procurement campaign continues from 7 May to 31 August.
Last Aman season, the government collected paddy at Tk28 per kg and rice at Tk42 per kg.

Just a year ago, paddy was procured at Tk27 per kg and rice at Tk40 per kg during the Boro season.
While addressing the rising production cost of paddy, Shoriful Islam, a farmer of Magura sadar Upazila said, ”in this season the production cost increases rapidly as price of electricity, diesel, and fertiliser prices hiked consistently with rising labour costs. As a result, we spent around Tk 1,200 to produce a mound of paddy.”

”But the government’s set procurement price is almost the same. How will I make a profit?” Shoriful Islam asked.
A sharecropper of the Fulpur village, Jashore sadar said “There has been a bumper in the yield of boro in my land. The production also up to mark. Because the price of rice has not increased compared to the cost, we find no profit margin.

Regarding the ongoing boro paddy prieces, Badal Chandra Biswas the Director General of Agriculture Extension Department said, that across the country the farmers have produced a record amount of boro paddy this year.

The offering market price of boro is not much higher but enough for getting the production costs.
If the price was bit higher, the farmers would be more interested in cultivation, he added.