Moneylenders take away their potato

About 70 big farmers in Dhulia, Govindopur, Narirpur, Kalaia and Gashinga villages in Bauphal upazila in Patuakhali took one lakh taka loan each from moneylenders for four months. Now they have to pay Tk 1.25 lakh each.

The moneylenders are taking away the harvested potato from fields at the market rate of around Tk 160 per maund to realise the loans.

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Narayn Sarker, said he cultivated potato on 20 acres of land and the yield was around 300 maunds per acre. But virtually nothing will remain after the loan is repaid in kind at so high interest rate, he said.

Another farmer Sukh Rranjan Told The Daily Star that hard labour will not being him any benefit. Moneylenders themselves are collecting potatoes from his fields. Same is the condition with Putul Mistri and many others in the area.

According to Bauphal agricultural office, photo was grown in 285 hectares in the area this year and the yield is about 20 tonnes per hectare.

The total production is about double of the last year's quantity, they said. The harvest will continue till mid-April.

When contacted, officials at Bauphal Krishi Bank said the farmers had to go to moneylenders as the bank did not give them loan because they were defaulters.