DHAKA,  Sept 1, 2021 (BSS) - Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque today said that pragmatic steps have been taken to double the productivity of rice aiming to ensure food security of possible 20 crore people in 2050.  
 
"Work is underway to double the productivity of rice to meet the demand for ever growing population of the country which could be 20 cr in 2050," he said.
    
The minister was speaking at a strategy-paper unveiling programme titled 'Doubling Rice Productivity (DRP) in Bangladesh' at a city hotel as the chief guest.
 
On the occasion of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Centenary, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) formulated the strategy paper presented in the progamme, a press release said.
 
Razzaque said that the cultivable land in the country is declining and on the other hand, the population and the risk of climate change are increasing.
 
To meet the needs of the growing population from this declining land, rice productivity needs to be more than doubled, he said, adding that the government is working towards the goal.
   
The minister said that in 2050, people's income will increase alongside their purchasing power.
 
Consumption and demand for food will increase, he said, adding that ensuring food security in this situation is a big challenge.
 
He added that the government is giving importance on increasing rice production by innovating developed-technologies and reducing yield gaps.  
 
Emphasis is also being laid on nutritional development of paddy, he said.
 
Speaking as special guest on the occasion, State Minister for Planning Dr M Shamsul Alam said that the plan to double the productivity of rice in the DRP is not a dream but achievable and also a realistic concept.
 
For the existence of the country, it is essential for the people, he added.
 
With Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Md Mesbahul Islam in the chair, the programme was addressed, among others, by Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Dr Sheikh Mohammad Bakhtiar, Director General of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Md Asadullah and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)'s Country Representative for Bangladesh  Dr Humnath Bhandari.