Farmers form a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday, demanding fair price of paddy. — New Age photo

The leaders of farmers’ organizations on Monday warned the government that the farmers might withdraw their support if they do not get adequate prices for their paddy.
They made the observation at a human chain organized by the Jatiya Krishok Jote, an associate organization of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, in front of the National Press Club, demanding refixation of the paddy procurement price at Tk 850 a maund (40 kg) instead of Tk 720, and the buy of paddy directly from the farmers.
Farmers from Dhaka and adjacent districts carrying placards and banners proclaiming their demands participated in the human chain.
Speakers at the human chain said that though the farmers have come up with a bumper harvest, they were not getting profitable prices for their produces.
JSD president Hasanul Haque Inu said that the farmers had no reason to be happy with such satisfactory agricultural production unless they get profitable prices, and that it was the government’s duty to ensure the interest of the farmers.
He urged the government not to protect the interest of the donor agencies, traders, middlemen and rice mill owners, but to provide agricultural subsidy to the farmers directly, and ensure adequate budgetary allocation for forming agricultural marketing cooperative societies, and begin crop insurance, reduce prices of fertilizers, seeds and pesticides and increase the farmers’ storage capacity.
JSD’s general secretary Sharif Nurul Islam Ambia said that the farmers were now compelled to sell their paddy for around Tk 500 a maund, much below the government rate of Tk 720. ‘They (farmers) may withdraw their support from the government if they fail to get adequate prices for their paddy.’
Speakers at the human chain also demanded an end of seed adulteration, punishment of the traders and importers of adulterated seeds, compensation to the farmers for crop failure, legal recognition of the farm labourers, government allowance for farmers aged above 60 years, loans on easy terms to build food warehouses at the farmers’ level and increase of subsidy in agriculture in the upcoming national budget.
They threatened to launch tough agitation
programmes if their demands were not met immediately.
The human chain, presided over by the Jote’s president Iqbal Hossain Khan, was addressed by JSD standing committee member Shirin Akhter, Jote’s general secretary Anwarul Islam Babu and leader Kamruzzaman Fosi, along with others.