Farmers Face Uncertainty Instead of a Good Harvest
Photo: Agamir Somoy
As the time for harvesting rice approaches, fields were expected to be filled with the joy of a golden crop. But in Haripur field under Paba upazila of Rajshahi, that joy has been replaced by frustration. Farmers are left confused as a single plot shows three different stages of rice growth. In some areas, the rice has ripened and fallen to the ground; in others, it has just matured; and elsewhere, new panicles are still emerging. In this unusual condition, laborers are also refusing to harvest the crop.
In a distressed voice, farmer Morshed Ali said, “I went to the laborers. They said they cannot harvest this rice.”
Morshed Ali, from Notun Kasba village in Paba upazila of Rajshahi, cultivated BRRI Dhan-88 on four bighas of land. Last year, he harvested around 27.5 maunds per bigha from the same variety. Encouraged by the yield, he used the same seed again this year.
But this season, his field has turned into a disaster. One portion of the crop has ripened and fallen, another portion has just matured, while fresh panicles are still emerging in another section. Seeing three different stages of rice in the same field has left him stunned.
“I have no hope for this harvest at all,” Morshed said. “Many others in the area also cultivated this rice after seeing me. They trusted me. Now both I and they have suffered losses.”
From a distance, Haripur field appears like a green dreamland of crops swaying in the wind. But a closer look reveals a different reality. Fallen ripe rice lies on the ground, while new panicles sway above it. The same field reflects three different conditions, symbolizing the farmers’ misfortune.
Farmers allege that the crisis originated from foundation seed of BRRI Dhan-88 purchased from dealers approved by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC). They say the seed, considered highly reliable, has now turned into a nightmare.
Farmer Masud Rana from Muraripur village is facing the same hardship. He cultivated the rice on three bighas of land and is experiencing identical problems.
“One part has ripened, one is halfway, and another is still producing panicles,” he said. “I brought laborers to harvest. They said all the rice must be cut together; ripe portions cannot be harvested separately.”
He said his additional fertilizer and irrigation costs this season amounted to around Tk 33,000 for three bighas, all of which was borrowed. With yields now uncertain, he is spending his days in anxiety.
Breaking down while speaking, Masud Rana said, “I am finished. Please do something for us.”
Farmers said they purchased the seeds from BADC-appointed dealer Anarul Islam in Haripur union.
Anarul Islam said he sold the seed to around 20 farmers, and nearly all of them have been affected. He added that applications for compensation have already been submitted to the BADC deputy director with farmers’ signatures.
BADC Rajshahi Deputy Director A.K.M. Golam Sarwar said the matter is being taken seriously and he has personally visited the fields. He suspects that BRRI Dhan-88 may have been mixed with BRRI Dhan-92, although the exact cause has not yet been confirmed.
“There is no scope for such mixing in foundation seed. An investigation is underway to determine how this happened,” he added.
Officials said similar complaints have also emerged in several other areas outside Rajshahi, where investigation committees have already begun work.
In fields where farmers once dreamed of a golden harvest, uncertainty now hangs in the air. Ripe rice falls to the ground, fresh panicles sway in the wind, and despair fills the eyes of farmers standing in between. For farmers, seeds are not just crops—they are their future. And that very trust has now been shaken.
