BSS–29 No chance of food crisis, if Boro harvest successful: Razzaque

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BSS–29

RAZZAQUE-FOOD-CRISIS

No chance of food crisis, if Boro harvest successful: Razzaque

BANIACHONG (HOBIGANJ), Apr 23, 2021 (BSS) – Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque today said that there would be no food crisis in the country if farmers can successfully harvest Boro crop this year.

“There would be no food crisis in the country…if Boro crop throughout the country including the Haor can be harvested successfully,” he said as the chief guest while attending Boro harvest festival at Jatrapasha of Baniachong upazila under Hobiganj here.

Baniachong Upazila Administration and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) jointly organized the function.

Amid the corona virus pandemic, the minister said the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working firmly to eliminate food scarcity in the country.

Regarding the current Boro production, Razzaque said, “We are hopeful that our Boro production will cross the target while the rainfall this year was not up to the mark.”

The government will take up various programme for raising food production in the Haor areas, he said, adding that “only a crop is now being produced on the huge tract of land in the Haor areas.”

Regarding increase of food production in the Haor areas, Dr Razzaque said the government will soon take projects for excavating and re-excavating canals in the Haor areas as huge land in the Haor areas remain fellow due to lack of irrigation facilities.

Moreover, the government will distribute developed variety hybrid rice for increasing productivity in the Haor areas, the minister said.

Chaired by Deputy Commissioner of Hobiganj Israt Jahan, the programme was also addressed, among others, by local lawmaker Advocate M Abu Zahir, senior Agriculture Secretary M Mesbahul Islam, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Chairman Dr Amitabh Sarker, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) M Asadullah, Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Dr M Shahjahan Kabir and district Awami League general secretary Advocate Alamgir Chowdhury.

Terming prime minister Sheikh Hasina as the real friend of the farmers, the agriculture minister said the prime minister is generously distributing various incentives to the farmers as the government is distributing harvesters at a cost of Taka 21 lakh each by providing 70 percent subsidy on the real price of Taka 28 lakh.

Later, the minister inaugurated the Boro harvest in the Haor areas of Baniachong upazila and distributed combined harvesters and reapers among the farmers.

The minister also visited the regional office of BRRI.

Regarding rice price hike, the minister said although the Boro production in the last year was good, but excessive downpour and long time flood during the Aus and Aman season had affected the overall rice production in the country.

BSS/PR/OG/KU/2023 HRS