The costs of Boro paddy cultivation have risen significantly this season due to higher labour and irrigation costs alongside increased prices of seeds, pesticides and fertilisers, leaving farmers worried about getting a fair price for the staple crop.

According to farmers, the cost of production per bigha increased to around Tk 17,850 this season, which is about 28 percent higher than last year's costs of Tk 13,900 per bigha.

Farmers from different regions, including Kishoreganj, Habiganj, Sylhet and Jamalpur, said they were spending an additional Tk 4,000 per bigha to cultivate Boro compared to last season.

A breakdown of paddy cultivation costs per bigha shows that irrigation costs now total Tk 3,200, which is a 23 percent increase compared to last year, when it cost Tk 2,600.

Meanwhile, labour cost climbed 38 percent to Tk 9,300 while pesticide costs doubled to Tk 950. Additionally, ploughing costs increased 29 percent to Tk 1,540, and fertiliser costs increased 10 percent to Tk 2,850.

"Labour cost is the major expense for Boro cultivation. Even if it rises slightly, it has a large impact on total costs," said Md Muzammel Haque, another farmer in Jamalpur.

He said a labourer could be hired for Tk 500 per day last year but estimated that it would currently cost between Tk 600-700 per day.

Anamul Haque, a farmer in the Itna upazila of Kishoreganj, has already planted Boro paddy across 30 bighas.

He added that costlier energy costs, such as for diesel and electricity, had pushed up irrigation costs. "Besides, the price of seeds almost doubled to Tk 30 per kilogramme," he added.

Many farmers also alleged that retailers were charging much higher prices for fertiliser than the price fixed by the government.

Shafiq Mia, a farmer in Hakaluki of Moulvibazar's Barlekha upazila, said the price of urea fertiliser had increased by Tk 300 per sack (50kg) this year, up to Tk 1,400. He added that the price per sack of muriate of potash (MOP) increased from Tk 750 to Tk 1,100, and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) increased from Tk 800 to Tk 1,100.

Given these higher cultivation costs, many paddy farmers expressed grave concerns about whether they would get a fair price at the end of the season.

Ruman Chowdhury, a resident of Ajmeriganj of Habiganj, is cultivating Boro on seven acres.

He said he would have to incur a loss after harvest even if he got the current market price.

Currently, medium-quality paddy is being sold at Tk 1,100 to Tk 1,150 per maund (40 kg), but the prices usually fall to Tk 700-750 per maund at the end of the season.

According to his estimates, Boro paddy yields an average of 15 maund per bigha. If the total cultivation cost is estimated at Tk 17,850, the cultivation cost per bigha will be Tk 1,190.

"Compared to the current market price, it is obvious that we will have to make huge losses. But if prices fall to the level that they were during last year's harvesting season, it will not be possible for me to survive," he lamented.

Last year, the government fixed the collection price of paddy for the Boro season at Tk 1,200 per maund, when the production cost was estimated at Tk 1,181, according to the agriculture ministry.

Despite such negligible margins, those such as Shafiq Mia have little choice. He added that he was compelled to cultivate paddy as he had no other income sources. He said most farmers in his neighbourhood usually had to do part-time jobs such as rickshaw-pulling, driving, and fishing to get by.

Sarwar Alam, another farmer in the Hakaluki area of Moulvibazar, said he was not cultivating Boro this year considering the low price of paddy relative to cultivation costs.

"Due to the increase in overall cultivation cost, I will be unable to recoup my investment unless I get a fair price at the end of the season," said Alam, who cultivated Boro across four acres last season.

Farmers said it would have been very beneficial if incentives were provided to marginal farmers. Besides, the procurement campaign should be strengthened by the government, including monitoring the paddy and rice market, they said.

Md Tajul Islam, director of field crops wing at the Department of Agricultural Extension, said the target for Boro cultivation had been set at 50.40 lakh hectares.

About 14 percent of the total target, including 40 percent in haor areas, has already been cultivated, he added.