Shortage of labourers affects Irri-Boro farming

Nursing of freshly planted Irri-Boro fields is badly affected due to acute shortage of farm workers in the district.

Paddy growers need labourers for removing weeds from their paddy field and spraying fertiliser there, farmers said, adding that 60 to 70 labourers are needed for each hectare of land.

A similar problem arose during the sowing period that began early January and ended recently, said Subal Roy, a farmer of Tegra village in Biral upazila of Dinajpur.

At least 1.76 lakh 651 hectares of land have been brought under Irri-Boro cultivation in Dinajpur this year. The production target is 5.5 lakh tonnes of rice.

Earlier a large number of labourers used to come to the district from other places for seasonal jobs during the paddy sowing and harvesting season but now labourers of Dinajpur are going to other districts to earn higher wages, farmers said.

"I get Tk 300 a day by working as a farm labourer in Dinajpur but if I work in other areas like Rajshahi, I can earn Tk 500 a day," said Md Rustam Mia of Bhaduria village in Ghoraghat upazila under the distant.

Amid the shortage of labourers, paddy farmers are worried about possible production fall as lack of timely nursing of the plants can lead to low yields.

"I have hired a group of labourers for nursing my land, but they have agreed to work only at intervals," said Sukur Ali, who cultivated paddy on six acres of land at Shibrampur village in Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur. 

Big farmers are somehow managing labourers by offering high wages, but small farmers cannot afford it, as they earlier incurred losses in paddy cultivation for the second consecutive season, said Sukur Ali.

"It is almost impossible to take care of the paddy fields without labourers. The situation may lead to serious problem for us," Amar Kumar of Khayerpur in Phulbari upazila said in a tone of frustration.