Even though the government has significantly increased the procurement targets for Boro paddy and rice this year, it does not make the farmers happy since the target is less than 10% of the total production.
It means they would have to sell 90% of their harvest to the wholesalers and millers, who do not buy paddy or rice at the government-fixed rate.
And those, who have already sold off their harvest before the government launches its collection campaign tomorrow, incurred huge loss as the paddy price remains very low in the local markets now.
According to the government, production cost of per kg Boro paddy is Tk20.70; which means the farmers spent around Tk773 to produce one maund paddy (1 maund=37.32kgs).
But they are now selling the paddy at Tk450-600 per maund in different markets whereas the government set rate is Tk858 per maund (Tk23/kg).
The price is Tk450-500 in Dinajpur and Tk550-620 in Naogaon – the highest Boro paddy producing region of the country, report our correspondents.
“The low price of paddy at the beginning of the harvesting season indicates that the price will fall more when the harvest will be in full swing,” said Benu Ram Sarker, a farmer from the district.
Our Naogaon correspondent reports that the price varies from Tk550 to Tk620 based on moisture content.
The government has estimated Boro rice production cost at Tk29 and fixed procurement price at Tk32. Generally, the millers buy paddy from the farmers and sell rice to the government and in the local market.
“We fixed the rates – production and procurement – considering the interests of the farmers,” Food Minister Md Kamrul Islam said last month while declaring the Boro procurement target for this year.
The government has announced that it will procure 700,000 tonnes of paddy and 600,000 tonnes of rice from the local market which is much higher than all time. Earlier, the government used to buy around 1-2 lakh tonnes paddy every year.
The farmers are not content with the declaration as the total production of Boro paddy is around 19 million tonnes.
“The loss of the farmers can be reduced if the government procures paddy and rice directly from the farmers at the declared price,” said Dr Quazi Shahabuddin, former director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
“But it does not happen generally, despite having a provision to do so,” he added.
Last year, the government procured 1 million tonnes of rice at Tk32 per maund and 100,000 tonnes of paddy at Tk22 from the local market during Boro season, against the production cost of Tk20 and Tk27.50 respectively for paddy and rice.
However, terming the government’s decision of procuring more paddy in this season a “welcome departure,” Shahabuddin said that the government should buy more paddy than rice from the farmers.
“When the government procures more rice, it means that the millers will be benefited,” he added.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
