Farmers buy Aman saplings for high prices

A section of traders are doing brisk business by selling Aman saplings at high rates in the local markets of Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts taking advantage of prolonged floods, much to the worry of the farmers.

Farmers are compelled to buy the saplings for high prices as it is the peak cultivation season.

Local farmers said lately prepared many seedbeds and seedlings in the river basin areas of Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar in the two districts were damaged due to the month-long flood in July.

Taking the advantage of sapling crisis, the traders are doing brisk business by selling seedlings for high prices to cash in amid the flood situation, the growers alleged.

A large number of farmers are facing trouble as they are not getting enough seedlings for farming, they said.

Flood-hit farmer Zahir Ali, 62, of Brahmaputra river basin in Jorgachh area of Kurigram's Chilmari upazila, said poor and marginal farmers bear the brunt as a bundle of 200 seedlings is being sold at Tk 18-20 against Tk 5 last year. 

However, the production cost of two bundles of seedlings is not more than Tk 3 to Tk 4, he said.

At least 150 bundles of seedlings are needed to cultivate one bigha of land (30 decimal), said paddy grower Mantaz Ali, 58, of the same area. 

 Another flood-hit farmer Azgar Ali, 57, of Teesta river basin village Rajpur in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said seedling crisis has made his Aman cultivation uncertain. He is trying to manage seedlings from his relatives.

Protap Chandra Barman, 65, of the same area, said "I prepared Boro seedbeds on 20 decimals of land this current season but 70 percent seedlings were damaged due to severe flood. So I have to purchase seedlings from the local market for high prices." 

 Anu Hossain, 45, a seedling trader at Brahmaputra river basin Jatrapur Haat (market) in Kurigram Sadar upazila, said due to the prolonged floods in different districts, they have to spend additional money for purchasing seedlings from flood free different districts.

"As we purchased seedlings at high arte, we are selling it at high rates," he said. 

 According to the sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat, farmers of the two districts have lost their seedlings on 2,300 hectares of land due to floods this year.

Kurigram DAE Deputy Director Dr Mostafizur Rahman Prodhan said a good number of flood-hit farmers are facing seedlings crisis. They have been managing seedlings from their relatives and many of them are purchasing seedlings. 

The DAE official hopes that all farmers will complete Aman farming in their lands by managing seedlings somehow.