RAJSHAHI, July 14, 2022 (BSS) - The government has, so far, procured around 1,46,182.62 tones of Boro rice during the current season contributing a lot towards food security in the region.

  As part of its ongoing rice procurement drive commenced since May 7 last, the government has bought the food grain from all eight districts in Rajshahi division.

  Faruque Hossain Patwary, Regional Controller of Food, said they have also purchased 11,019.4 tonnes of Boro paddy during the same period till Wednesday.

  "We're procuring rice at Taka 40 per kilogram and paddy at Taka 27 per kilogram," he said, detailing aspects of the procurement drive. He said the government has set a target of procuring 2,83,570 tones of rice, while 1,09,329 tones of paddy in the division during the current season until August 31.

  Contracts have been signed with 3,565 husking and auto millers for collecting 2,43,401.9 tones of rice. The enlisted millers have been supplying rice as per terms and conditions of the contract.

  Meanwhile, farmers have produced around 32.50 lakh tones of Boro rice from 8.18 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division during the recent past harvesting season. Currently, the grassroots farmers are happy after getting better yield and market price of their newly harvested rice contributing a lot towards ensuring food security in the region.

  This year, additional 6,668 tones of rice has been produced in the division compared to the target set by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE). The DAE had fixed the target of producing 35.51 lakh tones of rice from 8.12 lakh hectares of land but, amazingly, the farmers brought around 8.19 lakh hectares of land under paddy farming.

   Shamsul Wadud, additional director of the DAE, Rajshahi, said the farmers attained the yield following various effective steps including inspiring to enhancing cultivation of high yielding varieties of Boro rice, price reduction of DAP fertilizer, smooth supply of fertilisers and power for irrigation by the government.

  Use of latest technologies, proper fertilization, agronomical managements and suitable weather also made the paddy farmers capable of getting good yield as steps had been taken to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation this season with close monitoring and supervision by the DAE officials.

   Nobab Ali, a farmer of Harinbiska village under Godagari upazila, is now happy with his satisfactory production of paddy. He has harvested 20 to 22 maunds of paddy from per bigha of land. Like him, many other farmers of the upazila were highly hopeful of a bumper paddy production this season. Hossain expects a good profit by selling paddy if the market price is satisfactory.

  Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker told BSS that the farmers are now delighted over their yield, adding: "Suitable climate conditions and government support to the farmers are being judged as the main reasons behind the good yield."