RAJSHAHI, May 28, 2020 (BSS) – Procurement drive of the newly harvested Boro rice going on in full swing everywhere in Rajshahi division creating a high hope of ensuring food security amid the present adverse impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We have already procured 10,648.91 tonnes of boiled rice and 699.51 tonnes of non-boiled rice in all districts in the division till Tuesday last,” said Raihanul Kabir, Regional Controller of the Department of Food here.
He said the government has set a target of procuring 2,62,731 tonnes of Boro rice in the division during the current season of harvesting which is going on in full swing everywhere in the region at present.
“We will procure 2,39,067 tonnes of boiled rice at the rate of Taka 36 per kilogram while 23,664 tonnes of non-boiled rice at Taka 35 per kilogram under the present rice procurement drive,” added Raihanul Kabir.
He said contracts have been signed with 5,136 millers for collecting 2,31,657 tonnes of boiled rice while 157 other millers signed contracts for supplying 20,810.81 tonnes of non-boiled rice. The enlisted millers have started supplying rice according to the terms and condition of the contract.
“We have also set a target to procure 1,42,495 tonnes of paddy at the rate of Taka 26 per kilogram,” Raihanul Kabir said, adding that 417.21 tonnes of rice and 44.88 tonnes of paddy will be procured directly from the farmers.
Kabir said 1,07,585 tonnes of aman rice has been procured till Wednesday last. “We have also procured 4,156.8 tonnes of wheat till the same date against the total target of 30,323 tonnes,” Raihanul Kabir added.
The officials are very much hopeful about attaining the entire procurement targets especially Boro rice in the division during the current season as a bumper production of Boro paddy has been seen throughout the region this year.
The procured food grains will help supplement the government efforts of battling against the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, farmers are seen harvesting boro paddy in full swing amidst satisfactory yield everywhere in the division including its vast barind tract.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set a target of producing around 34.30 lakh tonnes of Irri-boro rice from 8.08 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under the division during the current season.
Sudhendra Nath Roy, Additional Director of DAE, said target has been set to produce 31.57 lakh tonnes of high yielding varieties rice from 7.51 lakh hectares, 2.65 lakh tonnes of hybrid varieties of rice from 52,910 hectares and 7,729 tonnes of local varieties of rice from 3,840 hectares of land.
Farmers of the division were provided 317 Combined Harvester machines and 183 Reaper machines this year to ease harvesting paddy in due time.
A combined harvester can harvest, thresh, clean and pack rice on three bighas of land for only an hour.
The farmers have also produced around 20.14 lakh tonnes aman rice from 7.73 lakh hectares of land while 4.97 lakh tonnes of wheat from around 1.40 lakh hectares of land in the division.
Simultaneously, they have produced over 36.22 lakh tones of potato from 1.58 lakh hectares of land and 19 lakh tones of other winter vegetables from 87,612 hectares of land very recently contributing a lot towards mitigating the adverse situation caused by Covid-19 pandemic.