Boro sapling sale falls in Lalmonirhat

Boro sapling markets in the district see much less than expected buyers during the ongoing peak cultivation season as farmers are losing interest in the cultivation due to low market prices of paddy.

"I returned home with 125 bundles of boro saplings from Durakuti market as I didn't get any buyer after waiting for three hours," said Mafidul Islam, 50, a farmer of Shalmara village of Bhalabari union in Aditmari upazila.

"For the last ten years, I have been buying and selling boro saplings at different markets in greater Rangpur region but the business is dull due to shortage of customers this year," said Noor Jamal Miah, 45, at Nababerhat in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

"Now we are selling one maund of paddy for Tk 500-520 although the production cost was Tk 600-620. Why will we cultivate paddy if we have to sell the produce below the production cost?" said Tobarak Ali, 58, of Durakuti village in the same upazila.

Harendra Nath Barman, 60, of Harati village in the upazila said he has prepared three bighas of land for boro farming although it was eight bighas last year.

"As I earlier sustained loss in paddy farming, now I cultivate the crop only to meet the family need," he said. 

Delowar Hossain, 62, a farmer of Falimari village in Aditmari upazila, said this season he does not need paddy saplings as he has switched to other crops.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension said they have targeted boro cultivation on 51,767 hectares of land in five upazilas of the district and half of the land area has been brought under the paddy cultivation so far. 

It seems the target of boro farming will not be achieved in the district this season, locals said.

Admitting the situation, Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Enamul Haque said farmers are losing interest to grow boro paddy due to low market prices of the crop this year.