Farmers in Pirojpur are struggling to harvest their ripe paddy due to a severe shortage of labourers, leaving crops to rot in the fields.
Despite favourable conditions this year, the lack of workers is raising concerns over potential losses.
Golden paddy sways across vast fields, but most of it remains uncut. The district set a target of cultivating 35,093 hectares of boro rice this year, with 34,005 hectares already sown. Good weather has boosted yields, but farmers cannot bring in the harvest. Heavy rainfall and strong winds are causing the mature rice to bend and fall, increasing the risk of crop damage. Many farmers have started harvesting by themselves, though labour costs are high.
Fazlu Hawladar, a farmer in Rayerkathi, Pirojpur Sadar, said, “I cultivated red Teer Moyna and Hira-2 varieties on five bighas of land. The yield is good, but we cannot find workers. Those available demand Tk900–1,000 instead of the usual Tk700 and require two meals daily. Overall, the cost exceeds Tk1,000 per bigha, while the market price is only Tk700–800. Cultivation costs Tk18–20 per bigha, so rice farming is increasingly unprofitable. If the government does not intervene, farmers may abandon rice cultivation here.”
Soumitra Sarkar, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said 55 per cent of the paddy has already been harvested. The department is advising farmers on solutions and promoting mechanised harvesting to address the labour shortage. The district’s production target for this year is 250,030 tonnes of boro rice.
