Aush rice production costs Tk 1,150 per maund, but sells for Tk 700
BSS file photo.
Aush rice has produced a bumper harvest in the northern region this year. Many farmers had hoped that the good yield would help make up for their losses from the previous season. But those hopes have been dashed by the low market price of rice. Although production costs have increased compared with last season, prices have fallen significantly. While it costs farmers an average of Tk 1,000-1,150 to produce one maund of Aush rice, they are selling it for Tk 650-750. As a result, many farmers are struggling even to recover their production costs.
Farmers in Naogaon, Rajshahi and Bogura say the costs of fertiliser, irrigation, pesticides and labour have increased for Aush cultivation. At the same time, the market price of rice has fallen. After suffering losses from potatoes in the previous season, farmers dependent on loans are facing even greater financial pressure as they receive low prices for Aush as well.
Aush rice is currently selling for Tk 650-750 per maund in various markets in Mahadebpur, Naogaon. At the same time last year, the price was Tk 1,000-1,200. This means the price has fallen by as much as Tk 550 per maund in a year.
Farmer Md Liton of Ranail village in Mahadebpur cultivated Aush on about 11 bighas of land this year. Depending on the variety, he harvested 12-16 maunds of rice per bigha. According to his calculation, the production cost was Tk 14,000-15,000 per bigha. This puts the production cost at around Tk 1,150 per maund. Yet he has to sell the rice for Tk 700-750 per maund.
Liton said he is incurring a loss of around Tk 3,000-4,000 per bigha by selling rice at this price. If the value of his own land is included in the calculation, the loss would be even higher.
The figures from the Naogaon Department of Agricultural Extension also clearly show the gap between production costs and market prices. This season, the cost of producing Aush per bigha has been estimated at Tk 21,245, including Tk 8,000 as the value of the farmer's own land. An average of 14 maunds of rice is produced per bigha. If sold at Tk 750 per maund, the income comes to Tk 10,500. This means the deficit is Tk 10,745 per bigha when the value of the land is included. Excluding the value of the farmer's own land, the deficit is Tk 2,745.
Mahadebpur farmer Moinuddin has been cultivating Aush rice for four decades. In his experience, he has rarely seen such a situation. He said cultivation costs are rising every year. At the same time last year, rice was sold for Tk 1,000-1,200 per maund. The price later rose to Tk 1,200-1,300. This year, however, it has fallen to around Tk 700. The decline in prices has also reduced traders' interest in buying rice.
Md Moinuddin, a farmer from Godagari in Rajshahi, said he had to buy fertiliser from the open market at higher prices because of a shortage. Many farmers have had to borrow money to cover the costs of fertiliser, pesticides and irrigation. After harvesting, they are being forced to sell their rice to repay those debts.
Traders are also pointing to a decline in market demand. Shamsur Rahman, a seasonal rice trader in Mahadebpur, said he bought rice at around Tk 1,000 per maund last year. The price later rose to Tk 1,200-1,300. This year, he is buying it for Tk 700-750. According to him, demand in the market has fallen because large rice mills are buying less rice.
The experience of Md Liton, a rice mill owner in Sherpur, Bogura, is similar. He said the current market situation has made it difficult for rice mill owners to buy paddy as well. At the current selling price of rice, buying paddy at a higher price does not make the numbers work at the mill level. A large quantity of rice also remains unsold in his warehouse.
In Naogaon, Aush was cultivated on 58,573 hectares of land across 11 upazilas this season. According to national figures from the Department of Agricultural Extension, Aush was cultivated on 959,000 hectares across the country in the 2024-25 fiscal year, producing around 4.191 million tonnes. In the current 2025-26 fiscal year, Aush has been cultivated on 945,000 hectares, with production targeted at around 4.05 million tonnes.
Naogaon Agricultural Marketing Officer Sohag Sarker said the government has been informed about the gap between production costs and market prices. Weekly reports on rice prices are also being sent regularly.
The situation has become even more difficult for farmers because of losses in the previous season. Many farmers, particularly after suffering losses from potatoes, had hoped to recover by earning from Aush. But the fall in rice prices has dashed those expectations as well.
Professor A N K Noman of the Department of Economics at Rajshahi University said farmers face increasing financial pressure when they suffer losses from several crops consecutively. The situation is particularly difficult for farmers who cultivate crops with borrowed money.
So, during this Aush season, the question facing farmers is not simply how much they have harvested. Another major concern is how much of the money spent on production they will be able to recover by selling the crop after bringing it home.
