RAJSHAHI, Sept 27, 2020 (BSS) – The government has procured more than 1.72 lakh tonnes of boro rice during the recently closed procurement drive contributing a lot towards ensuring food security amidst the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic situation.
As part of the nationwide boro rice procurement drive that closed on September 15 last, the government has procured the food grain from all eight districts in Rajshahi division despite the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to the rice procurement, the government has also purchased 40,665 tonnes of boro paddy from the same areas at the same times.
Raihanul Kabir, Regional Controller of Food, said they have procured around 1.61 lakh tonnes of boiled rice and 11,348 tonnes of non-boiled sunned (Atap) rice till the stipulated day.
He said procurement drive of the newly harvested rice had gone on in full swing everywhere in the division that created a high hope of ensuring food security amid the present adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Raihanul Kabir said the government had set a target of procuring 2,39,067 tonnes of boiled rice, 23,664 tonnes of non-boiled sunned rice and 1,42,495 tonnes of paddy in the division during the current season. Boiled rice has been procured at the rate of Taka 36 per kilogram while non-boiled rice at Taka 35 per kilogram.
Contracts had been signed with 5,370 millers for collecting 2,35,199.76 tonnes of boiled rice, while 160 other millers for supplying 21,099.17 tonnes of non-boiled rice. Besides, 11,352 tonnes of wheat were procured.
Currently, farmers are now very much pleased with the present lucrative market price for the latest harvested Boro and Aush paddy in the entire region including its vast Barind tract. The prevalent selling price rate was over expectation to the farmers.
After getting the profitable price of their paddy the farmers are seen bustling with harvesting of aush besides farming of transplanted aman paddy with more attention.
Meanwhile, despite the adverse impacts of both the Covid-19 pandemic and the flood, Aman paddy transplantation has exceeded the target in Rajshahi division creating scopes of producing additional yield of the food grain.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set the target of producing around 22.19 lakh tonnes of Aman rice from around 7.66 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under the division during the current season.
But, amazingly, the enthusiastic farmers have brought more than 7.77 lakh hectares of land exceeding the target by 11,540 hectares braving the current pandemic and disastrous situations.
According to the farmers and the DAE sources, the target has been exceeded as the farmers are seen humming towards more paddy farming side by side with suitable climate conditions with frequent rainfall.
Apart from this, harvesting of Aush paddy is now the closing stage and the farmers are very much happy after getting the over-expected paddy yield alongside availing the scopes of spot selling of the newly harvested paddy.
The DAE has set a target of producing around 7.5 lakh tonnes of Aush rice from 2.52 lakh hectares of land in the division. But, the farmers cultivated the paddy on around 2.54 lakh hectares of land.
Sudhendra Nath Roy, Additional Director of DAE, Rajshahi, said the government has adopted diversified steps including incentives and technological support to promote the aush rice farming.
Government incentives; technological assistance, high yielding seeds, suitable climatic condition, frequent rainfall and satisfactory yield and market price of the newly harvested Boro paddy and rice are being adjudged as the major factors of exceeding the farming target.