Wheat Cultivation in Thakurgaon, Panchagarh
Crisis of quality seeds persists
Being deprived of getting wheat seeds from a dealer's shop at Collegepara in Thakurgaon town, growers crowd the office of the assistant director of BADC (marketing) for seeds in the town. This photo was taken on Wednesday. Photo: STAR
Crisis of quality seeds in the ongoing wheat cultivation season has become a cause of concern for farmers of Thakurgaon and Pachagarh districts as Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) could not supply sufficient quantity in the face of growing demand. Most of the farmers, who incurred losses due to low market prices of paddy in both aman and Irri-boro seasons in the last two years, have switched over to wheat farming this year as they see reasonable prices of wheat in the market, according to BADC officials. BADC has supplied around 1,150 tonnes of wheat seeds for Thakurgaon wheat cultivation zone (Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and a part of Dinajpur districts) against the demand for 11,600 tonnes, the officials said. Taking advantage of seed crisis, dealers of BADC have allegedly sold their maximum allotted seeds to local sellers at higher prices. Facing crisis of quality seeds, growers have to buy seeds from retailers and at black market at higher prices. During a visit to a seed sale centre of BADC in Thakurgaon town on Wednesday, this correspondent saw many farmers gathered in front of the centre to collect wheat seeds. Only those who managed slips from local agriculture officers got seeds while the rest returned empty-handed. “I have decided to cultivate wheat on four bighas of land this year. Failing to collect seeds from a local dealer of BADC at Ruhea Bazar in Sadar upazila, I came here to collect seeds', said Saddam Hossain, a farmer of Modhupur village of the upazila. Saddam said an assistant agriculture officer gave him a slip for only 20-kg of seed against the demand for 80-kg. Joynul Adedin, a farmer of Bothina village under Sadar upazila said he bought a sack (20-kg) of certified wheat seeds from a dealer's shop at Farabari Haat in the upazila for Tk 850. The government rate of the same amount is Tk 720 Admitting to seed crisis Assistant Director of Marketing of BADC Md Shamsuzzoha said they have sent a letter to the authorities concerned for further allotment of quality seeds and some 85 tonnes are under process. Contacted, Deputy Director of Dinajpur BADC Mofazzal Hossain said the demand for wheat seeds has increased as the farmers of the areas switched over to wheat farming as they were deprived of fair prices of their paddy in the last two years. Replying a query about sale of wheat seeds at black, he said “If any dealer is found involved in such illegal act, he will face stern action.â€
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