Farmers in Rajarhat, Kurigram are in trouble as the monsoon has arrived before they can bring Boro paddy to home. 

At the same time, there is a kind of panic among them as the padfy  in most of the fields has ripened. Fearing that the rice will be spoiled in the fields, the workers have also increased the price of their labor taking advantage of the farmers' haste. As a result, a worker is not available even for the price of one pound of rice. In this situation, agricultural experts have called for increasing the use of modern technology instead of relying on workers.

Rice harvesting began in various places in the upazila in the first half of this month. Rice in most of the fields ripened by the middle of the month. At the same time, anxiety and unrest increased among the farmers due to the adverse weather. They are in danger due to the additional wages and labor shortage. The workers are charging 800 to 1000 taka for harvesting rice from five percent of the land.  A worker is not even getting a daily wage of 1,000 taka

A bigha of paddy is going to cost 5,300 to 6,500 taka. Along with this, there is the cost of threshing, cutting and drying. As a result, farmers are in trouble due to the shortage of paddy harvesters and the local sanction. In many places, workers are not available even after paying extra wages. On the other hand, farmers are also worried about getting a fair price due to the extra cost of harvesting paddy. Farmers said that there is already a shortage of workers during the Boro season. On top of that, many have gone to Mymensingh, Bogra, Joypurhat,

Tangail, Sirajganj and other places in the hope of earning more. As a result, the labor shortage has worsened. Upazila Agriculture Office sources said that the target for Boro cultivation in the upazila this season was 12,245 hectares of land. Cultivation has been done on 12,250 hectares of land.

Meanwhile, although the yield is good, farmers are losing enthusiasm for paddy production due to low market prices.  Paddy is being sold at a price of 1,000 to 1,050 taka per maund in local markets. The farmers say that their wages are not increasing even after deducting the expenses.

Bhavben Chandra, a farmer from Chakirpasha Taluk village in the upazila, said that the cost of harvesting and threshing paddy on five percent of the land is more than 1,000 taka. The money spent on planting paddy seedlings, weeding, fertilizing and irrigating the paddy is also wasted. The maximum paddy production is three maunds. The cost of cultivation is 2,000 taka.

After 500 taka, there is nothing left. Maidul Islam, a farmer from Chakirpasha Taluk village, said, "I have been chasing workers for three days. They have not yet started harvesting my paddy.

Those whose land they have taken a contract to harvest have not yet finished their work. Parimal Chandra, a worker from Chakirpasha Taluk village, said, "Did you see the increase in wages alone? I don't even have money to go to the market to buy fish and meat with my whole day's income.

Azizar Rahman of Somnarayana village said that although the yield is good, due to adverse weather conditions and labor shortage, most of the paddy in the field is lying in the field. The worry is whether a fair price will be available?

Muhammad Ro Dul Islam, Vice Chancellor of Kurigram Agricultural University, said that this problem can be overcome in two ways. First, the use of modern machinery from paddy planting to cartoning should be increased, and second, the same crop should be cultivated and harvested at the same time in a unified manner. Upazila Agriculture Officer Saifunnahar Sathi said that 19 harvester machines have been given to farmers in the upazila. Paddy harvesting work is going on in the field with them. Photo Attached.