Golden paddy fields across Naogaon are offering a picture of abundance this Aush season, but farmers are facing growing financial distress as falling market prices wipe out their expected earnings.
Despite a better-than-expected harvest, many growers say they are unable to recover production costs. Rising expenses for fertiliser, seed, irrigation, pesticides, land preparation and labour have coincided with a sharp decline in paddy prices, leaving farmers struggling to repay loans and prepare for the next Aman season.
At local markets, varieties such as Jiroshail, Katari and BR-28 paddy are selling at around Tk800 to Tk950 per maund. Farmers say prices have fallen by Tk300 to Tk400 per maund compared with last year, while production costs have continued to rise.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Aush cultivation in Naogaon increased to 58,473 hectares this year from 51,300 hectares last season. The department estimates that the average production cost is around Tk64,000 per acre, or nearly Tk21,000 per bigha.
Farmers, however, say their earnings do not match the cost. A bigha of land is producing around 20 to 22 maunds of paddy, which at current prices brings an income of roughly Tk16,000 to Tk19,000 — below the cost of cultivation in many cases.
“This price does not even cover the farming expenses, but we have no choice but to sell because we need money for household costs,” said Mozzafar Hossain, a farmer from Kaligram in Raninagar, who brought paddy to Abadpukur market.
Farmer Jalal Uddin of Mohishbatan village in Mahadebpur said he sold 10 maunds of Jiroshail paddy at Tk880 per maund despite transporting 12 maunds to the market. “Last year, the same variety sold for Tk1,300 to Tk1,400 per maund. This year, we are losing money,” he said.
Many small farmers are under additional pressure from loan repayments, lease payments and family expenses, forcing them to sell immediately after harvest instead of waiting for better prices.
Trader Shariful Islam of Chakgouri said paddy prices had declined further after Aush harvests entered the market. He said Katari was selling at Tk900-Tk950 per maund, Jiroshail at Tk800-Tk850 and BR-28 at Tk800-Tk820.
Naogaon DAE Deputy Director Manzur Rahman said farmers would need a price of around Tk1,200-Tk1,300 per maund to make a profit. He questioned why lower paddy prices at the farm level were not reflected in retail rice prices.
Rice millers, meanwhile, blamed increased rice imports and sufficient market stocks for reducing demand for locally produced paddy.
Farhad Hossain Chowdhury, general secretary of the Naogaon Rice Mill Owners’ Group, said the situation could create further difficulties for farmers during the upcoming Aman season.
For Naogaon’s farmers, a bumper harvest has brought little comfort. The real challenge now lies not in producing more rice, but in earning a fair return from it.
