Farmers in Feni are celebrating one of the best Aman harvests in recent years, with both cultivation and production surpassing targets. Yet, farmers are disappointed as they fear not getting fair prices for their paddy.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Aman was cultivated on 66,755 hectares in the district this season — including 60 hectares of hybrid, 63,145 hectares of Ufshi varieties and 3,550 hectares of local varieties.
By upazila, cultivation covered 20,979 hectares in Sonagazi, 15,911 hectares in Feni Sadar, 8,510 hectares in Daganbhuiyan, 9,284 hectares in Chhagalnaiya, 6,211 hectares in Fulgazi and 5,860 hectares in Parshuram.
Production has also set a record, totalling 66,794 tonnes. This includes 88 tonnes of hybrid, 63,785 tonnes of Ufshi and 2,921 tonnes of local varieties. Sonagazi alone produced 20,977 tonnes, followed by 15,931 tonnes in Feni Sadar, 8,522 tonnes in Daganbhuiyan, 9,294 tonnes in Chhagalnaiya, 6,215 tonnes in Phulgazi and 5,855 tonnes in Parshuram.
But despite the bumper crop, farmers say rising production costs and low market prices are leaving them worried.
Abdul Malek, a farmer from Fulgazi, said, “The yield is better than last year, but fertiliser, labour and pesticide costs have gone up so much that I’m not even sure whether I will recover my expenses at current prices.”
Daganbhuiyan farmer Md Elias echoed the concern. “We have harvested the paddy, but millers are offering very low prices. If the government starts buying immediately at a fair rate, farmers like us will survive.”
In Sonagazi, farmer Rahim Ullah said, “The fields look beautiful with ripe paddy, but the market tells a different story. A small increase in price would help farmers stand on their feet.”
Feni DAE Deputy Director Md Atik Ullah said modern farming techniques, pest control measures and direct field-level guidance contributed to the strong yield. “We even arranged alternative feeding methods to prevent crop damage by birds. To further increase production in future, we plan to restart the closed sluice gates in coordination with the Water Development Board,” he added.
Farmers have urged the government to start rice procurement immediately to counter the influence of millers and stabilise prices.
As Abdul Malek said, “We just want to recover our costs. If farmers survive, the country survives.”
