Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, April 30, 2025 (BSS) – Leaders of Krishak Sangram Parishad (KSP), Rangpur have urged the authorities concerned to bring amendments to the government’s procurement policy aimed at procuring paddy directly from farmers to ensure fair prices in the local market.

They also demanded opening of procurement centers in every rural market, procure of 50,00000 tonnes of Boro paddy directly from farmers, allocation of 40 percent of the development budget to the agriculture sector and ensuring year-round work for farm-laborers.
 
They made the demand from a post-rally gathering at Kachari Bazar in the city after submitting a memorandum to the district administration on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Chaired by Bangladesh Krishak Samity Rangpur District President Amjad Hossain, its General Secretary Altaf Hossain, senior politician and freedom fighter Shahadat Hossain, Central General Secretary of Samajtantrik Krishak and Kshetmazur Front Abdul Quddus, its Member-Secretary Mominul Islam and Convener of Bangladesh Khetmazur and Krishak Organization Ahsanul Arefin Teetoo, among others, addressed the event.
 
The speakers said that the interim government recently announced to procure 300,000 metric tonnes of Boro paddy and 1.4 lakh metric tonnes of Boro rice this season. 
 
They feared that this announcement will protect the interests of rice mill owners like in the past. Every year, the government sets a lower target for procuring paddy, but buys more rice. However, farmers can sell only paddy, not rice. 
 
As a result, the mill owners form syndicates and used to force farmers to sell paddy at low prices. These syndicates can be broken if the government procure total paddy directly from the farmers, they opined.

In this connection, they suggested the interim government to buy Boro paddy and Aman paddy directly from farmers directly and make agreements with millers on making rice from that paddy. 

Ahsanul Arefin Teetoo opined for formulating time-befitting Boro and Aman paddy procurement policy so that farmers could get fair price of their produces.

“The government can provide its purchased paddy to millers for crushing into rice at certain rates and then supply the same to local markets and people at subsidized rates to have control on the market to ensure the well- being of common people,” Teetoo added.