Farmers in Dharmapasha upazila of Sunamganj are unable to harvest ripe Boro paddy due to a severe shortage of laborers. Despite the fields being ready for harvest, many farmers are watching their crops fall and rot as they fail to find workers. The situation has worsened following recent heavy rains that caused ripe paddy to collapse onto the ground, while rising water levels in the haor areas have made it impossible to use harvesters.

According to the local agriculture office, Boro paddy was cultivated across 45 haors this season. Farmers report that daily wages for harvest workers have surged to between Tk 1,000 and Tk 1,200, while the market price of paddy remains only Tk 700 to Tk 800 per maund. Many are being forced to share half their yield with workers under the traditional “Adi” system to avoid total loss. Rising fuel prices have also increased the cost of threshing and transporting harvested paddy.

Farmers have urged the government to take urgent measures to address the labor crisis and prevent large-scale crop losses.