May 17, 2024
DHAKA – Kamal Mia, a farmer in Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila, went to a local market yesterday to sell a maund of paddy to buy meat and other essentials as he was expecting guests.
However, all his hopes and plans went out the window as soon he came to know that he would only get Tk 800 for the crop.
His disappointment became despair when he could only afford a kilogramme of beef (priced at Tk 750 per kilo) with the money.
“There is no profit in paddy production. As the prices were low today, I only sold a maund and returned home with just a kilo of meat,” said Kamal. The disappointment in his voice was undeniable.
Moulvi Abdullah, Ebadullah, and Mofiz Mia were also compelled to sell their paddy at lower prices in the local markets.
While the authorities have fixed the price of paddy at Tk 1,280 per maund, the prices offered at the markets in Sreepur are usually lower, depriving farmers of fair prices.
Visiting the markets yesterday, this correspondent saw farmers standing with sacks of paddy. The traders were seen offering low prices for the crop amid a lack of monitoring.
Besides, most of them were unaware of the government price.
“I made Tk 4,000 by selling five maunds of paddy. The prices are too low today,” said Maulvi Abdullah, a farmer in Baoni village.
He accused that a traders’ syndicate controls the prices in the local markets.
“Rather than selling paddy at markets, we should have sold them from the fields before harvesting. We would at least make Tk 1,000 per maund,” said Ebadullah, another farmer.
Mofiz Nia of Bhangnati village was seen taking his paddy elsewhere from the market.
Asked why he did not sell his produce, he said, “I cultivate the BD-28 paddy variety. Traders here are offering me Tk 900 per maund, which is too low. So, I am going to another market hoping to get better offers.”
“The prices were better last week when I sold 40 maunds at Tk 1,000 per maund. However, it has been reduced by Tk 200 within just a week,” said farmer Abu Saeed of Bairagichala village.
However, traders denied the allegations.
“We had no idea about the prices being fixed by the government,” said Mostafa Mia, a trader.
“The price of paddy was Tk 32 per kilo as of this [yesterday] morning. I am unaware of the fact that the farmers are not getting proper prices, as I am new here. However, I will look into the matter,” said Asma Ul Hosna, food controller in Gazipur.