Adamdighi (Bogra) Correspondent :
The owners of Husking Chatal Mills in the upazila are having a hard time because of the gap between the prices of locally produced paddy and rice and the inability to survive in various competitions including the dominance of auto rice mills due to the touch of modernity.
The husking rice mills of Bogra’s Adamdighi Upazila, known as the food hub of Uttar Janap, are on the verge of closing down due to fluctuations in rice prices despite the demand for rice during the busy Eri-Boro and Ropa-Aman seasons.
Most of the husking rice mills in the upazila have already closed due to losses due to lack of coordination between the purchase of paddy and the sale of rice.
At one time, the activity of the workers could be noticed in these huts, but due to the closure of the husking mills due to various crises, hundreds of workers lost their jobs and became unemployed. According to the Upazila Food Office, in the early eighties, Adamdighi Sadar, Santahar, Muril, Nasratpur, Kundagram and Champapur areas started rice business by setting up more husking huts. Since then, due to the booming business, some enterprising businessmen have been setting up husking huts.
At present there are 164 husking chatal mills in the upazila. The amount of rice produced in these huts was used to meet the demand of the region and supply to different parts of the country including the capital Dhaka.
Hundreds of poor male and female workers were employed in these huts, just as middle-class businessmen would benefit from their activities.
Many of the rice traders and owners-workers associated with it have overcome poverty and become capitalists.
At present there are 14 automatic rice mills in the upazila.
Fear of losing capital due to the inability of Auto Rice Mills to survive in the market due to the rise of modernity is going to turn those good days into bad days.
Many people are investing the right amount of capital in this business and are leaving the reputed business like rice and moving to another profession. Chatram trader Ekram Hossain Mandal, owner of Ekram Rice Mill in the upazila, said.
The price of rice made by us and rice from Auto Rice Mill varies from one hundred to one hundred and fifty rupees per gram. But when buying paddy from the market, it is bought and cut at almost the same price. KM Golam Rabbani, Upazila Food Controller, said that the quality of rice at Auto Rice Mill and the quality of rice produced by Husking Mill could not survive in the current market. But those who have Husking Chatal Mill traders said that due to inconsistency of rice price with the current market price of paddy, there is huge loss in business.
