Rain, low paddy prices deepen crisis for Sunamganj haor farmers

Farmers in the haor areas of Sunamganj are facing mounting losses due to low paddy prices, adverse weather and rising production costs, putting their livelihoods at risk during the ongoing Boro harvest season.

Suhel Mia, a farmer from Matian Haor in Tahirpur upazila, said farming is no longer profitable despite good yields. “I cultivated 14 acres with borrowed money. It costs about Tk50,000 to grow the crop and will take another Tk50,000 to harvest, thresh and dry it. But I am not getting a fair price,” he said.

He added that only five out of 14 kears of his paddy have been harvested so far, while the rest remain in the fields amid uncertain weather. Intermittent rain and cloud cover have made it difficult to dry the harvested paddy, leading to spoilage and sprouting.

Farmers across various haors in the district reported similar challenges. Many said they are being forced to sell paddy at low prices, between Tk700 and Tk1,000 per maund, despite production costs ranging from Tk1,000 to Tk1,200.

Jewel Mia, another farmer from Matian Haor, said transportation constraints are adding to costs. “There are no proper roads from the haor, so paddy has to be carried in stages. Harvesting machines cost Tk3,000–4,000 per kear due to high fuel prices,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government has yet to begin paddy procurement, allowing middlemen to purchase crops at lower prices, forcing farmers to sell to repay debts and meet immediate expenses. Persistent rainfall has also raised fears of crop damage. Farmers expressed concern over the condition of crop protection embankments, warning that any breach could inundate standing crops.

In Tahirpur’s Shani and Matian haors, farmers have set up temporary shelters to dry paddy during the day and store it at night, with family members assisting in the process.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Boro cultivation has been carried out on 223,511 hectares across 137 haors in 12 upazilas of the district this season. The production target exceeds 1.4 million tonnes, with an estimated market value of over Tk5,000 crore.

However, weather warnings have intensified farmers’ concerns. Sunamganj Water Development Board (WDB) engineer Mamun Hawlader said rainfall is expected to continue until 30 April, which may raise river water levels and trigger flash floods.

“Farmers are advised to harvest paddy once it reaches 80% maturity to avoid potential losses,” he said.

DAE Deputy Director Mohammad Omar Farooq said officials are providing regular weather updates and urging farmers to complete harvesting, threshing and drying as quickly as possible.