Harvest festival underway in Habiganj

Harvest festival underway in Habiganj. Although farmers are weaving colorful dreams with golden paddy, they are fading due to a lack of fair prices. Depending on the variety, paddy is being sold at Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,100 per maund in the market. This is not even covering the production costs. Besides, although a month has almost passed since the government's paddy procurement drive, only 12 percent has been procured. Moreover, farmers cannot deliver paddy to the warehouses without brokers. Farmers said, we produce crops by turning the sweat of our brows into water. However, we are not getting the fair price of our crops. Brokers have to be caught to sell paddy in government warehouses.

This yields no profit from selling paddy. However, the food control officer claimed that paddy is being taken from actual farmers through lottery. Habiganj District Food Control Officer Chai Thowai Pru Marma said, among those who registered through apps to give paddy, actual farmers are being selected and paddy is being bought through lottery. There is no scope for brokerage here. This year, a target has been set to procure 8,257 metric tons of paddy and 24,176 metric tons of rice in the district.

(Source: Somoy News)