Abdur Rouf, a farmer from Nishchintapur village in the Baniachong Upazila of Habiganj, has cultivated 8.5 bighas of Boro rice this year.
Due to a labour shortage, he has been forced to use a harvester machine, which requires fuel to operate. However, the ongoing fuel crisis has led to an increase in costs, leaving him facing significant financial losses.
According to Abdur Rouf, the cost of harvesting has doubled compared to last year. He now spends between Tk3,500 to Tk4,000 per bigha to harvest the rice, compared to last year’s cost of Tk1,700 to Tk1,800 per bigha. The shortage of labour from outside the district has forced him to rely on harvesters, and the fuel crisis has made the situation even worse.
“The workers from outside the district have not come this year, so I have to use a harvester machine. But due to the fuel shortage, I am spending much more than before,” said Abdur Rouf.
This scenario is not unique to him. Other farmers in the district are facing the same issues. Harvester owners, too, are struggling to bear the additional costs of fuel. Due to the unavailability of diesel from pumps, they are purchasing fuel from retail shops at higher prices.
Farmers are now demanding a fair price for their paddy to offset the increased costs. “Due to the labour shortage and the fuel crisis, we are unable to get the harvester machines on time. We are forced to spend extra money just to get the harvest in,” said Shah Alam, another farmer.
Akbar Hossain, a farmer, shared similar frustrations, saying, “The harvester machine owners are charging us extra. We are left with no option but to pay, as we need to harvest the crops on time. This year, we will face losses.”
According to sources, Boro paddy has been cultivated on 123,848 hectares of land in the district this year, with a production target of 794,400 tonnes. A total of 432 harvester machines are available to help with the harvest.
However, due to the fuel crisis, many harvesters have yet to begin operations. Each harvester machine requires 80 to 90 litres of diesel daily, but they are only able to collect 20 to 30 litres from pumps. Consequently, harvester owners are buying fuel from retail stores at inflated prices.
Arif Ahmed, a harvester owner, said, “The cost of operating the harvester has doubled this year. We are forced to charge farmers extra to cover the costs.”
Boni Amin Khan, deputy director of the Habiganj Department of Agricultural Extension, commented, “Due to the unavailability of fuel as per demand, not all harvesters have started working. However, we are making efforts to ensure farmers can harvest their crops on time. The district administration has instructed pump owners to prioritise fuel supply to the harvesters. Farmers will also be provided with cards to access fuel from the pumps.”
As the fuel crisis continues to impact farmers and harvester operators, the need for a sustainable solution is becoming increasingly urgent.
