Monsur Alam Khokon, Santhia
As a result of several floods and heavy rains, cattle-grazing lands and cultivable lands have been inundated. As a result, there is acute shortage of raw grass in 10 unions of the upazila including Santhia municipality.
The straw traders of the more lucrative areas have not seized this opportunity. Farmers are struggling to buy straw at very high prices.
Meanwhile, the cattle breeders are eating water hyacinth in this situation. According to the Santhia Livestock Office, there are more than one and a half thousand farms in 10 unions of the upazila including one municipality. Talking to cattle farmers in different parts of the upazila, it was learned that there was an acute shortage of raw grass due to inundation of grass land in the floods. This has put pressure on the dried straw.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, some more lucrative hay traders have syndicated and increased the price of hay. The price of granular cattle food has also gone up. On the other hand, due to declining demand for milk and dairy products in corona, many have lost their capital in providing cow feed. In this direction, even though the price of cow's food has increased, the price of milk is not increasing.
As a result, the farmers are trying to close down their cattle farms. According to the farmers, even a few days ago, the price of straw was around Tk 300 to Tk 400 per quintal. At present it has increased to Tk 600.
Harun, a farmer from Sonatala village in the upazila, said the price of a sack of bran has gone up from Tk 1,250 to Tk 1,400. You have to buy straw for 300 taka to 500 taka.
I sell milk to Pran Company's Dairy Chilling Center. They pay only 33 taka per litter of milk. If we could get the price of milk right, our losses would be less.
Dulal, a straw seller at Santhia Hat, said, "We have to buy at a higher price." So we sell at a higher price.
