United News of Bangladesh

Farmers in the haor region of Sunamganj are growing increasingly anxious about securing fair prices for their Boro paddy as harvesting continues in full swing across the district. Although the government has fixed the procurement price at Tk 1,400 per maund, growers are alarmed by alleged price manipulation by organised syndicates and are urging authorities to dismantle these rackets. Bagerhat farmers reluctant to sell Aman paddy to govt—here’s why Local farmers and agricultural leaders argue that if the government purchases paddy directly from remote areas in larger volumes, it would compel middlemen and rice millers to offer fairer prices—ultimately benefiting the producers. As of Saturday, 24 percent of the Boro crop—across both haor and non-haor areas—has been harvested.  But, many farmers, pressed to cover rising harvesting expenses, are already selling their paddy to millers and advance buyers at lower prices.  Others are holding out in hopes that prices will improve once the government’s procurement drive begins. Agri Mechanisation: ‘Samaloy’ method  boosting paddy production in Meherpur A farmer from the Muktikhola area in Bishwamvarpur upazila shared that he had accepted a Tk 50,000 advance, agreeing to supply dry paddy at Tk 1,000 per maund. Another farmer, Mohibur Rahman, who expects to harvest around 150 maunds from both leased and owned land, said he plans to sell 120–130 maunds.  He hopes to sell at least one tonne to a government warehouse; otherwise, he will be forced to turn to private traders. Mukul Roy, a farmer from Rahimapur in Jamalganj, said he is struggling to hire harvest workers or machinery and is negotiating with labourers from neighbouring areas, who are demanding upfront cash payments and a share of the crop. Other farmers, like Samayun Ahmed from Tahirpur, complain about corruption in the procurement process.  Bumper Aman paddy yield brings joy to farmers in Chapainawabganj He alleges that in previous years, political intermediaries controlled farmer ID cards and supplied rice on behalf of the actual producers, leaving genuine smallholders out of the system. Agricultural activist Khairul Bashar Thakur Khan noted that farmers are currently selling wet paddy at just Tk 900 per maund in the fields.  He said if the government purchases even one or two tonnes per farmer, many marginal producers will benefit—unlike in past years when middlemen dominated the process. Chitta Ranjan Talukder, president of the Haor Agriculture Protection Council, criticised the government’s procurement centres for being located far from villages and for being largely run by brokers.  He suggested that mobile trucks should be dispatched to the villages with the help of union agriculture officers to buy dry paddy directly—even if transport costs are borne by the farmers.  

A bountiful tomato harvest in Sunamganj has turned into a nightmare for local farmers, as an oversupply, plummeting prices, and the absence of cold storage facilities have left them struggling with heavy financial losses. Farmers across several villages in the district are now struggling with an unexpected crisis: tomatoes are selling for as little as Tk 50 per maund, yet buyers remain scarce. Pilgrims, agencies struggle as Saudi Arabia almost freezes visa issuance for Umrah With no viable means of preservation, many have been left with no choice but to abandon their crops in the fields or use them as cattle feed to minimise their losses. A recent visit to Jamalganj upazila’s Mannanghat and Selimganj areas revealed vast fields of tomatoes left unharvested. Farmers from 15 villages, including Gajaria, Kashipur, Sharifpur, Selimganj, Kalaguja, Bhutiarpur, Rampur, and Songbadpur, had cultivated tomatoes on a large scale this season, hoping for profitable returns. Instead, they now face despair as demand has collapsed. Crops Rot in Fields as Farmers Struggle Siddiq Mia, a tomato farmer, shared his frustration, saying, “I invested Tk 50,000 to cultivate tomatoes on 33 bighas of land. Now, no one is willing to buy them, even at Tk 50 per maund. Seeing the tomatoes rot in the fields, I’ve started uprooting them to plant cucumbers, ridge gourds, and sweet pumpkins instead.” Abdul Alim, another farmer from the lowlands, echoed this distress. “I spent Tk 100,000 to grow tomatoes on 60 bighas of land. But due to the oversupply, no one is offering a fair price. The cost of transporting the produce to the market is higher than the selling price, so I have no choice but to feed the tomatoes to my cattle,” he lamented. For some, the situation has been even more devastating. Abdul Awal from Songbadpur, who relies entirely on tomato farming to support his family, planted tomatoes on 30 bighas of land, hoping for a profitable season. However, a lack of road connectivity has deterred wholesalers from visiting the area, leaving his ripe tomatoes to perish. "If cold storage facilities are not established in our area, farmers will be forced to abandon vegetable farming altogether," Awal warned. Need for Cold Storage and Infrastructure Development The crisis has once again highlighted the urgent need for proper storage and transportation facilities in the region. Tracking system to alert NBR of inefficiencies, irregularities among staff Mohammad Iqbal Azad, a training officer at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Sunamganj, acknowledged the challenges, stating that the district’s vulnerability to natural disasters and unreliable electricity supply makes establishing cold storage a significant challenge. "Without reliable power, stored vegetables would spoil. However, a proposal to set up a cold storage facility in the region has been submitted to the ministry. If approved, it will help farmers preserve their produce and reduce wastage," he said. Bimal Chandra Shome, additional director of the DAE for the Sylhet region, provided insight into the overall vegetable production scenario in Sunamganj. This year, 12,800 hectares of land in the district yielded 319,260 tonnes of winter vegetables, including potatoes, tomatoes, green chillies, cauliflower, cabbage, radish, spinach, and gourds. He stressed the need for long-term solutions to prevent such crises in the future. "Better market access, improved infrastructure, and preservation facilities are essential to safeguard our farmers," he said. A Bleak Future for Farmers? For the struggling farmers of Sunamganj, the current situation is more than just a financial setback—it is a threat to their very livelihood. With no immediate relief in sight, many are reconsidering whether vegetable farming is sustainable in the long run. Unless effective measures are taken to address storage and market access issues, Sunamganj’s agricultural sector may see a decline in vegetable cultivation, as farmers shift to crops that offer more stability, locals said. Naogaon to see bumper mango harvest worth Tk 3,500 cr this year For now, the fields of Sunamganj stand as a stark reminder of a recurring problem—one that demands urgent attention before another season’s harvest meets the same tragic fate.

Once the indigenous varieties of paddy were cultivated on a large scale in haor areas in Sunamganj. But with the passage of time the native paddies have almost disappeared thanks to the arrival of high-yielding hybrid varieties. Local farmers and others involved with agriculture blamed the growing dominance of multinational companies and hybrid paddy cultivation. Just two decades ago, the haors such as Shani, Matian, Mahalir and Bordi Gurmas in Tahirpur upazila of the district had been thriving with various native varieties of Boro paddy, grown to shield against floods. Indigenous Boro paddy was easy to cultivate with no fertilizers or pesticides. These varieties were resilient to climatic changes, surviving excessive rainfall or drought with minimal impact and even didn’t need irrigation. However, in recent years, the rise of hybrid paddy and the aggressive dominance by multinational companies are pushing the traditional varieties out of the fields. In search of higher yields, farmers are shifting to hybrid paddy as the government is encouraging hybrid paddy cultivation to ensure food security and self-sufficiency. Despite this shift, Tahirpur Upazila Agriculture Office continues to advise farmers to preserve seeds of local paddy varieties alongside high-yield hybrids. Among the native varieties that have already disappeared from the haor region are Rata, Gachi Shail, Najishail, Lakai, Pani Shail, Bor, Tepy, Rangila Tepy, Rajashail, Begun Bichi, and Boro Zira. These varieties, once used to prepare delicious dishes for guests, were not only known for their taste but also their nutritional value. Read: Govt to procure 51,973 MT paddy from Khulna amid bumper harvest Local agriculture officials said that the low yield of indigenous paddy has caused farmers to lose interest in cultivating. Now varieties like BRRI Dhan-28, BRRI Dhan-29, BRRI-1203, and Shakti are now the dominant crops in the haors. In Shani Haor of the upazila, farmer Jasim Uddin said that cultivating indigenous paddy used to be cheaper and during harvest time, the village was filled with traditional snacks like pithas (rice cakes), payesh (rice pudding), chira (flattened rice), khoi (puffed rice), and muri (puffed rice). These celebrations have now disappeared. He also said that indigenous paddy cultivation did not require excessive use of fertilizers or pesticides. Echoing Jasim, another famer Satyar Ray said that they didn’t need to buy paddy seeds from the market in the past. They would simply store some of their harvest to use as seeds for the following year. However, now they must purchase expensive seeds every year, and they also need to apply large amounts of pesticides, fertilizers, and water to achieve satisfactory yields, he recalled. Asaduzzaman, plant conservation officer at Tahirpur Upazila Agriculture Office, shared that farmers are opting for high-yielding paddy varieties to get more benefits. Read more: Bumper Aman paddy yield brings joy to farmers in Chapainawabganj He said that during various training sessions organised by the agriculture office, they encourage farmers to preserve indigenous paddy seeds along with hybrid varieties. Despite the lower yield, indigenous paddy is sold at a higher price in the market, he observed.

Floodwater started entering Baram and Darakhai Haors in Derai and Jagannathpur upazilas of Sunamganj on Thursday overflowing the flood protection dam in Kalni River, causing worry to local farmers. Following the authority’s instruction farmers of Sunamganj haor region have started harvesting half-ripe paddy to reduce losses. Water overflowed from Kalni River through the middle part of Chandipur-Khejaura since Thursday morning, said Mahmudur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Dirai upazila. Read: Modern launch terminal to be constructed in Chandpur About four thousand hectares of land were cultivated in this haor. According to the locals, 60 per cent of the paddy in the haor has been harvested. If flooding in haor continues, the rest of the paddy will go under water. Bimal Chandra Som, deputy director of the district Agricultural Extension Department, said another crops on 1,000 hectares of land in Baram Haor has not been harvested yet. However, most of the crops of Pathar Haor have been reaped. The harvesting  of Boro paddy is still continuing in these two haors, the official added.

Farmers in the Tahirpur haor area of Sunamganj fear they may be deprived of their Boro harvest this year, with the possibility of further flash floods in the days ahead on the back of heavy rainfall in the northern and eastern part of India. Boro paddy of Tahirpur upazila has just started ripening. Normally, farmers of the haor areas would go for harvest within 7-10 days. But another flash flood between now and then could damage the crop entirely.  According to the forecast of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, water level at some points of Surma, Kushiara, and Jadukata rivers may cross the danger level due to incessant downpours in the hilly areas of India including Assam and Meghalaya from April 10 to 17.      In the last week, around 7000 hectares of Boro lands of Tanguar haor, Eraliakona, and Gunnakuri haor under Tahirpur upazila became inundated due to an onrush of water downstream breaking past the protection embankment. Local farmers of these areas are now guarding the remaining embankments in phases as these are very weak and ill-constructed. Also read: Thakurgaon farmers fear crops loss after hailstorm The Water Development Board has repaired the 53-kilometre long submersible crop protection embankment and 10 closures through 68 Project Implementation Committees (PICs). The cost to implement the project was Tk 12 crore 83 lakh. However, the embankment and the closures are not perfectly repaired and repair work remains incomplete. The local administration along with the farmers are working to repair the cracks on the embankment.