Farmers who have already harvested winter vegetable and are interested in boro cultivation cannot start farming of the paddy because of labour shortage created by the on-going blockade inforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Labourers who come from Rangpur, Dinajpur, Natore and Kurigram districts to work as farm labourers during the winter season cannot go there for the current political unrest.
Finding no way, farmers have engaged their family members, including children and women, in the cultivation process.
Fuad Miah of Dhalla village under Mirzapur said wage of farm labourers had increased to a great extent which sometimes a burden for poor farmers like them.
He said: “I would cultivate boro paddy on five bighas of land this year. But I am facing a serious problem as I am not getting adequate number of labourers to cultivate my land.
“I went to Mirzapur to bring some labourer two days ago, but I saw only four labourers were waiting there while the number of land owners were nine. Taking advantage of the situation, labourers demanded Tk400 for a day as their wages while the amount was Tk200 a few days back. So I came back without hiring any labourer.”
He said his wife with their three school-going children were engaged in cultivation.
Another farmer Insu Miah of Daoubari village of Sakhipur upazila said: “I will cultivate six bighas of land this year. But I could not start cultivate my land for the shortage of labourer.”
He said to get sufficient labourers they have to wait until the political situation of the country became normal.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), cultivation of Boro farming started form November 15 and it continue till March 15. The department has fixed the production target of about 6,58,811 tonnes of paddy from 1,70,082 hectares of land this year.
