BORO farmers are selling their produce at least at Tk 5.0 less per kg in the market than their production cost. The government announcement said it would pay Tk 23 for per kg of un-husked rice or Tk 920 per maund (40 kg) but the absence of the promised price support to farmers is forcing them to sell between Tk 600 and Tk 720 per maund. It is not affordable by farmers anyway.
The situation could have significantly improved if the government announced Boro procurement drives were already launched as scheduled on May 5 but its whereabouts is still not in sight. There may be many reasons but nexus between the food officials who will press the procurement drive and the millers and middlemen is most talked-about in this case to delay the procurement drive. It allows them to buy at low cost at early season and then sell to the government at the officially scheduled prices making enormous profits.
A local daily on Wednesday reported on farmers’ failure to recover cost of production and blamed the vague announcement of the procurement plan without specifying the modalities. In fact, these are the loopholes, which play in the hands of dishonest officials and traders to betray farmers. It is an open secret that farming has become costlier now due to high cost of agricultural workers, seeds, fertilizers and irrigation resulting from higher cost of diesel.
We know the government offers price support to farmers through public procurement drives to keep farmers in farming. This is important for protecting rural employment and to ensure the nation’s food security. But failing to launch the procurement drive in time is causing enormous loss to farmers who are failing to hold their stock because they have to sell it to pay other liabilities.
It is true that farmers achieved a bumper Boro production this season but a plunge in its price is denying them the due benefit. In our view the government must launch an investigation why the Boro procurement now for un-husked paddy has not started yet and those responsible for it must be punished. We can’t allow dishonest people to play foul with the fate of the poor rice growers who feed the nation.
It is also time for caution that the government should not allow any more import of cheaper rice from India; which they are dumping in Bangladesh market with the help of some of their local agents to clear their stock. But this in turn is forcing local farmers to sell their produce below their cost of production.
In our view rice is not only a commodity for trading, it is linked to keep the rural economy vibrant and we must have a far-reaching policy to protect farmers in greater national interest.
