BSS-41 Razzak for raising oilseed output to cut edible oil import

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ZCZC

BSS-41

EDIBLE-OIL-PRODUCTION

Razzak for raising oilseed output to cut edible oil import

DHAKA, March 20, 2019 (BSS) – Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzak has said increasing local edible oil production through raising cultivation of different varieties of oilseeds can reduce annual edible oil import pressure.

“Around 46.21 lakh tonnes of the country’s total annual edible oil demand of 51.27 lakh tonnes are coming from abroad at the cost of Taka 25,600 crore,” he said at a meeting on enhancement of cultivation of mustard /oilseeds held at the ministry’s conference room on Tuesday.

Bangladesh produces only 2.50 lakh tonnes of mustard oil from 6.05 lakh tonnes of mustard produced on 4.44 lakh hectares of land.

In the last season, the country produced 9.70 lakh tonnes of different oilseeds including mustard, peanuts, sesame, linseed, soyabean and sunflower on 7.24 lakh hectares of land which was 10 percent of the total edible oil demand, the minister noted.

At present, oilseed is being cultivated on only 4 percent of country’s total arable land, said he.

To increase its production, Dr Razzak said the deputy assistant agriculture officials will have to set the oilseed production target at the field level.

All the necessary assistance, including supply of quality seeds, motivating the farmers with modern agriculture technology and ensuring the availability of agriculture inputs, is needed for increasing mustard production, he said.

The meeting formed a six-member committee headed by the additional secretary (research) to recommend ways to help the farmers increase oil seed production.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.

BSS/OG/BR/1915