In the heart of Rangunia upazila in Chattogram lies a field of gold, where the shining sun illuminates the vast expanse of Boro paddy, and hardworking farmers and labourers toil from dawn to dusk to reap its bounty. 

Known as Gumai Beel, this field is one of the largest paddy fields in the country, and its golden aura brings a smile to the face of every farmer who has cultivated it.

Take the case of Amit Nath for example, who has cultivated BRRI-88 variety of paddy in three acres of land in Gumai Beel. He is happy with the yield this year. However, he is worried about the high wage demands of workers, which have increased from Tk 800-900 to Tk 1,100-1,200 per day.

Md Enam, another farmer, also expressed his concerns about the high wage demand. Around 1,500 farmers have cultivated Boro paddy of different varieties in Gumai Beel this year, and they are all busy harvesting. Md Salam, another farmer, said he has cultivated 2.5 acres of land, and the yield is very good this year.

The Rangunia Upazila Agriculture Office stated that Gumai Beel is the second-largest paddy field in Bangladesh, covering an area of about 3,000 hectares.

Ramij Uddin, sub-assistant agriculture officer, Rangunia upazila Agriculture Office, said harvesting of Boro paddy in Gumai Beel started in late April, and around 10 percent of harvesting has already been completed. He admitted that the wage of skilled workers is high this year due to the crisis of skilled manpower.

Photos: Rajib Raihan

Imrul Kayes, Rangunia upazila Agriculture Officer, said the bill has shown a bumper yield of Boro paddy this year. He said the average yield of BRRI-88 is over six tonnes per hectare of land. He also mentioned that the upazila agriculture office has been providing all sorts of necessary help and cooperation to the farmers from cultivation to harvesting.

The fertility of the land, the labour and skill of farmers, and cooperation from the upazila agriculture office have contributed to the good yield of crops, he added.