Golden harvests, rising straw prices bring smiles to Rangpur farmers

A farmer proud with his harvested paddy in Rangpur. UNB

Rangpur, Nov 14 - As early Aman paddy is harvested and threshed across Rangpur, farmers are not only celebrating bumper yields and lucrative prices but also profiting from a soaring demand for straw, which has brightened their harvest season.

This year, the price of straw, an essential feed for livestock, has risen significantly compared to last year. Experts attribute the increase to an imbalance between supply and demand, adverse weather events, reduced paddy yields and the scarcity of grazing land.

Golam Mostafa, a farmer from Mominpur village in Rangpur Sadar, said, “Earlier, cattle could graze freely in the fields, but now almost no fallow or low-lying land remains vacant. As a result, dependence on cultivated fodder and straw has increased.”

Another farmer, Siraj, explained that floods between September and October damaged both natural and cultivated grasslands across the region, intensifying the shortage of fodder. Consequently, farmers who cultivated early paddy are experiencing high demand for straw and are able to sell it at premium prices.

Agricultural officials anticipate that the sale of early Aman paddy and straw could generate over Tk 2,500 crore for farmers in the Rangpur region this season.

The agriculture department projects early Aman paddy production worth nearly Tk 2,000 crore across the region’s five districts, with additional income from straw sales expected to exceed Tk 500 crore.

In Kaunia Upazila market, old bundles of 20 bales are being sold for Tk 210–220, while new 20-bale bundles fetch Tk 190–200.

Al Amin, a local trader, said he is pleased with the higher straw prices alongside the new paddy. Customer Rana Mia noted that, with rising cattle feed prices, straw remains the best option for feeding livestock, though it has slightly increased the overall expense.

Farmers report that a plot of 24 decimals (0.24 acres) yields 500–600 bales of straw. This translates to approximately 2,000 bales per acre and 4,500–5,000 bales per hectare.

With bale prices ranging from Tk 6,000–8,000 per thousand, farmers can earn Tk 30,000–34,000 per hectare, potentially generating over Tk 500 crore from the sale of straw across one lakh hectares.

This season, hybrid paddy varieties including BINA-7 BR-33, 39, 56, 57 and 62, 71.75, 87, 103 have been cultivated on over one lakh hectares in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, and Nilphamari districts. Short-duration BINA-7 and BINA-17 varieties, which mature within 120 days, are also being grown.

Early Aman paddy is yielding an average of four metric tonnes per hectare, with total production expected to exceed 400,000 metric tonnes. Market prices currently reach Tk 1,400 per maund, equivalent to Tk 35,000 per tonne.

The agriculture office has highlighted that climate change is creating new challenges in farming, prompting a shift towards climate-resilient varieties.

The high-yielding, drought-tolerant BINA-17 short-duration paddy allows farmers to swiftly cultivate wheat, mustard, or potatoes afterward, requiring approximately 30% less fertiliser and irrigation than other varieties.

Asaduzzaman Asad, a farmer from Kaunia, said he earned Tk 7,000–8,000 from selling 1,000 bales of straw. “The good price for straw is helping farmers financially. A few years ago, growing early varieties of paddy was not even considered, but now it is easing our economic challenges,” he added.

Sirajul Islam, Additional Director of the Rangpur Agricultural Extension Department, said, “The cultivation of early paddy is keeping the regional economy dynamic. Each year, this cultivation is increasing, and this season farmers are benefiting not only from paddy but also from straw sales.”

He further noted that once famine-stricken areas in the northern districts have now recovered due to early paddy cultivation, and the previous crises in livestock rearing have diminished.

According to the agriculture department, this year early paddy has been cultivated on 43,000 hectares in Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Nilphamari districts. - UNB