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Background
 Shykh Seraj started his television career at least 35 years back and is directly involved with the development journalism for almost 30 years. In 1982, he was recruited as a television presenter in BTV (Bangladesh Television, The only state-run terrestrial television of the country) for the programme, Mati O Manush (Soil & Men). He continued until 1996 and when he was leaving the programme then 588 episodes of presentation was already in his bag of experience. He gave agriculture a very different look. He commented, 'The only Culture in Bangladesh is Agriculture.' There is just no way that you can step away from this inevitable truth, which is pedaling our economy. After he started working in Impress Telefilm Ltd. /Channel-i, he penetrated even more to find the actual truth of agriculture. In addition, after long research he along with his team has produced 3 different agricultural programmes: Hridoye Mati O Manush (Soil & Men in Heart), Hridoye Mati O Manusher Daak (The Post of Soil & Men in Heart) for Channel-i and Krishi Dibanishi (Agriculture: Round the Clock) for the only state-run terrestrial television of Bangladesh, BTV (Bangladesh Television). His to move even further to reach the extreme height for the benefit of the marginal, impoverished and distressed farmers of Bangladesh. The farmers know and comment on Shykh Seraj: 'A friend in need is a friend indeed'. Seraj is really the great man who has sacrificed his life for the farmers only through television programmes- this is quite a surprising story throughout the world. Has anybody done that before in the history of agriculture? Using television box for farmers' purpose is the predominant concept that was implemented to the highest by Shykh Seraj.
Hridoye Mati O Manusher Daak (The Post of Soil & Men in Heart)
Hridoye Mati O Manusher Daak is the ground-breaking agricultural programme in any television around the world where Shykh Seraj is bringing the most eminent policy makers, concerned persons from the government and most importantly the marginal farmers and the self-entrepreneurs who have so many questions regarding developing their agriculture or getting facilities and assistance in building up their agriculture. A grass-root-level farmer in Bangladesh does not even see in his dreams to ask questions regarding the availability of seeds or having fertilizer support or anything regarding agriculture to the policy maker or concerned authority. Shykh Seraj single-handedly made the impossible to possible and in the mainstream media, this was for the very first time in Bangladesh that a marginal farmer has the ground to be in an argumentative conversation with a highly influential policy maker.
This is particularly an accountability-based talk show, hosted and directed by Shykh Seraj where a marginal farmer has the access to discuss directly with the policy maker and this programme has actually become a bridge between the marginal farmer and the policy maker.
Episode: 60
 Greetings for all my dear viewers and dear farmers. How are you all? I am starting today's Hridoye Mati O Manusher Daak. If you have noticed our programmes Hridoye Mati O Manush and Hridoye Mati O Manusher Daak, we always focus on the agriculture product marketing of the farmer's own production and which should be done in a healthy manner, of course. We also repeat that if the farmer does not get the exact price of his produced crops, he will always remain as a marginal farmer and his position will never be changed. If he had the exact price then his quality of life standard would have been upgraded. The wholesalers take a big part out of the total production benefit. When we had started the first episode of Hridoye Mati O Manush, back in 21st February, 2004, our main theme was regarding this issue- 'The Produced Crops of the Farmers, Market Management and Farmers' Exact Return'. To market all the produced crops of the farmers, Agriculture Extension Department has an office or department, which is known as Agriculture Marketing Department. Among many of their scheduled tasks, they look after that whether the farmer is getting the exact price of his produced crops, whether market management is going in a smooth manner, how far the marketing is being done, price of various products- they are concerned with all these.
On today's programme, we have invited a conscious farmer who came here on Hridoye Mati O Manusher Daak earlier. He is from Bidirpur village of Chapainawabganj district, Manzur Rahman. We firmly believe that he is a very much conscious farmer. He cultivates various types of agricultural products. I term his conscious as he does not sell his products to any wholesalers, whereas he does it directly to his customer. On my left, we have Mr. Sirajul Islam, Director of Agriculture Marketing Department. We will discuss about farmer's produced crops and its marketing on today's programme. Before that let us go through a report, regarding how a farmer is caught by a wholesaler and gets deprived of having the exact price. We will come back to our discussion after closely observing the report.
Inside Report: Telecast on Hridoye Mati O Manush (Inaugural Episode). This report was recorded on the 5th January, 2004 and was telecast on the 21st February, 2004 as the First Episode.,
Now, the widespread fields are full of vegetables.
Interview: 01
You have produced cabbages...
Yes
Now you will take these to the market?
Yes, to the market...Shibpur Market.
Will you do it by wholesalers?
Yes
What will be the cost for each one?
Tk. 6.
Is this the medium size?
Yes
And bigger than this will be sold at Tk. 10.
Interview: 02
In the urban area, we are buying this cabbage at Tk. 20-25.
Oh...We do not even think of it Sir.
Interview: 03
So, what do you think...who do you think gets the money from this middle phase? Those who are making business with our own production...who else? We are not getting anything at all.
All these simple and straight farmers are giving their very best effort but they do not even know what the price of their labour is. Interview: 04
So, you are getting Tk. 10. At the market, it is sold at Tk. 25-30. We are buying it Tk. 15-20 higher than the original price...So where did the money travel?
Dalal (Wholesalers) grasped the money.
Due to marketing and its strategy, the farmers are not getting the exact price of their produced crops. All of it is going in the pocket of the wholesalers.
Interview: 05
When these vegetables will change around 3 hands, what will be the price of it, then?
Tk. 10-12,
Now, tell me...He has sold it at Tk. 3, and I got it at Tk. 12...so how much is the gap between 3 and 12.
4 times higher...but there are so many things related with the process.
Now you tell me, where did all the money from the middle phase go...?
Transportation and driver"s cost is there Sir...
So, does it mean that per cabbage transportation cost is Tk. 7?
Distant...Expressive Smile.
Kawran Bazar is the largest market of produced crops in Bangladesh. The farmer does not even know at what price their product is being sold here.
Interview: 06
We are selling it now at Tk. 12.
But, when I will buy it tomorrow from the market I won"t even get it below Tk. 20, right?
Yes, that would be the price for you as you are not buying it in a wholesale manner.
Interview: 07
You are getting profit of Tk. 5 per cabbage?
Yes
You have been watching our special report. Now we will go to the discussion. Firstly, I will go to Mr. Sirajul Islam and would like to know what the main responsibility of the Agriculture Marketing Department is?
The first and foremost duty of the Agriculture Marketing Department is to ensure the exact price that a farmer should get while after producing they go to sell in the market. This is our fundamental or chief target. Recently, we have taken two projects for it and we have been working for so long on this subject. We are penetrating even higher why the farmer is not getting the exact price. We have identified some major things and we are working on those. In our project, we are planning to place 12 centres in 12 districts and cool chambers will be there. If the farmer feels that s/he is not getting the exact price, s/he can always put his or her agricultural products at this chamber and when the price will get higher, s/he can take out the products and sell it in the market at a profitable rate.
Recently, you have done projects like these. But, don"t you have other projects, which have been going for the benefit of the farmers? And, don"t you think those needs to be implemented first?
Yes we have done the complete infrastructure for the farmers earlier and created a wholesale market for them. So, that they feel secure and safe, regarding their agriculture products.
Ok. At this point, I would like to ask you that whether the farmers" exact price has been ensured via these sorts of initiatives, at all?
As we don"t have any exact information on the demand, so we can"t even surely justify the market. The farmers naturally rush on to those kinds of agriculture products, which are running top at the market. So, at present, we are identifying some factors that in which area, how much should be produced and accordingly we would certainly assist them in getting the exact price.
Now, I will go to Manzur Rahman, the conscious farmer that I would term him. Manzur, I will ask you two questions and you would answer me directly. My first question is, regarding the ensuring the exact price of the farmers" produced crops, there is a department, named as Agriculture Marketing Department...Do you know this department? And, my second question is for the last 35 years, this department has done two new projects recently and projects they did earlier...Regarding all these, do you have any relationship or any idea?
Thank you, what I know is that there is Agriculture Marketing Method and regarding that there is a project. And, regarding the two recent projects of which he just mentioned, we haven"t seen its implementation at the field-level until today.
Ok. My another query is regarding Mr. Sirajul Islam"s comment on activities of the Agriculture Marketing Department, have you had any assistance from that very department, regarding getting good and exact price during its marketing?
I am related with my profession for a long time. I bring all my produced crops straight to Dhaka, but as the department should guide us regarding how I should reach the exact place and would be able to get the exact and good price... I haven"t received any such assistance from them ever in my lifetime.
Dear Viewers, let me point you one very important thing that the main reason to bring Mr. Manzur here is because he never sells his produced crops to the wholesalers, instead he sells it directly. What he does is he hires a truck...pack it up with his produced crops and comes directly to the Kawran Bazar to sell all of those in a direct mode. The report that we have shown you few moments earlier what it represents is: The farmers and consumers like us are not being benefited at all. From the middle, only the wholesalers are being benefited and grasping everything. Millions of farmers carry the same consequence with them regarding getting the right and exact price throughout the country. We were looking for a farmer"s organization where the farmers could have been more benefited while putting the wholesaler at the back foot. The theme was easy. If 30 farmers have arranged all their products at one place and could sell it from one place, then the wholesalers would certainly be put at the back foot no doubt. Then, the wholesalers would have to bargain with the farmers to get the product. It may happen in the case of getting any agricultural assistance like getting fertilizers at a low price. All this would happen if there were a farmer"s organization. Unfortunately, this was the duty of the Agriculture Marketing Department but in reality, we didn"t see anything as such in reality.
We have done the NCDP project where the farmers from the northern part of the country would be benefited.
Ok. Manzur. You are from the northern part of the country. Do you have any idea about this?
Yes
Are you getting any aid from this project?
We didn"t get any facility from this project.
What do you think personally regarding all these? When we talk about solution, everywhere we hear about this and that project have been done and this and that would be done in the future. Apart from the two recent projects, there are many projects. Do you know anything about the other projects" activity at all?
I am really surprised that after having such a wonderful organization we should have been guided at least where we should have taken our crops as you know there are demand varieties regarding crop varieties in different districts. It was there sole responsibility but until today, we didn"t have any such hope or assistance from them.,
Mr. Sirajul Islam, do you think that your organization doesn"t have enough workforce and modernization...?
Yes...Yes...
So, if that is the situation, then why aren"t you giving any recommendations to the government as you can clearly identify that the farmers are not happy with your performance.
Our Agriculture Minister has given me assurance that our workforce and modernization will be even more enhanced and enriched very soon. If it is being substantialized, then we believe that we can even go into the grass-root levels and I firmly believe that. We only have 478 officials for the whole country. It"s quite impossible to work with such a limited workforce for the whole country and everyone should agree with me, in this regard.
Ok. Let me ask you one thing. What is the performance or job description of this, let us take, 400 officials, which could assist farmers like Manzur?
Yes...We do the daily market price by radio and television.
You have said that you use media as the propagational method of the market price. Ok. Manzur, Do you have any idea, regarding this?
I go through radio most of the time. But, basically the information is not exactly disbursed and the general farmers are not being benefited with this amount of information.
Have you ever heard anything regarding the price on your radio?
No, not exactly, but we have heard this kind of news in a very limited version on the share market news!
What I believe is if you have really propagated properly then his level of farmers could have been more benefited.
Mr. Seraj, my question to you is do you think that the agriculture department should be more advanced with modern technology...?
Yes
Whenever we ask you, we come to know about various projects from you but we don"t see its reflection in reality... For the people that you are doing all these, they are not being benefited at all! So, what is the basic motto of these projects?
The way we have started now, we believe that within 2-5 years we would be able to fulfill all the needs of the farmers all around Bangladesh.
I thank both of you for coming to my studio. Dear viewers, one thing has to be noted that the farmers have to unite if they really want to have their exact and right price for their produced crops. There has to be Agriculture clubs and industries where the farmers would be able to sell his product there directly. From my personal experience, I can say that locally the farmers are getting organized, specially in Pane district. All these should have been done by the Agriculture Marketing Department. And the history of Bangladesh would not find anything remarkable regarding their activity and agenda. We still believe that we have time in our hands and this department will play the most vital role in ensuring the right and exact price for the farmers.
Adieu. |
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