Bid to Minimise Boro Loss in N-dists
Farmers in many northern districts are using family labour for harvesting paddy to save the cost for day labourers as the production cost has already exceeded the market price in this season.Farmers said they have to incur loss of Tk 100 to Tk 150 a maund (40kg) as paddy is selling for only Tk 400 to Tk 450 whereas the average production cost stands at Tk 550. Under the government's current paddy and rice procurement drive, the price of a kg of Boro paddy has been fixed at Tk 14. Accordingly, a farmer is supposed to get around Tk 560 for one maund of paddy. But the government's drive seems to work little as the drive is going on at a snail's pace. Taking the advantage of the situation, the middlemen are buying paddy at very low prices.To save Tk 600 to Tk 700 as harvesting cost per bigha, especially small and medium farmers are now cutting, carrying and thrashing paddy with family labour. Even women members of a farmer's family including his wife, daughters and daughters-in-law are going to paddy field for the purpose.Many farmers are now hiring woman day labourers for lower pay.Meanwhile, like other monga-prone areas, the day labourers of Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts are now going to distant areas to work in the Boro harvesting season for higher pay. Day labourers are often seen waiting at rail stations or bus stands with small bundles on their heads to go to distant districts for Boro harvesting. Pay for daily labour is higher in different southern and eastern districts, said several day labourers of Parulia and Kakina villages in Lalmonirhat district. “I can bring Tk 5,000 for the family if I work in those places for 15 days,” said Rabiul, a young day labourer.
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