RAJSHAHI, May 19, 2021 (BSS)- The government has, so far, procured around 13,940.37 tonnes of Boro rice during the current season contributing a lot towards food security amidst the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
As part of its ongoing rice procurement drive commenced since May 7 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 1,977.44 tonnes of Boro paddy from the same areas during the same period till Tuesday.
“We’re procuring boiled rice at Taka 40 per kilogram, while paddy at Taka 27 per kilogram,” Faruque Hossain Patwary, regional controller of Food, said detailing aspects of the procurement drive.
He said procurement drives of the newly harvested rice is going on in full swing everywhere in the division creating a high hope of ensuring food security amid the present adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Faruque Hossain said the government has set a target of procuring 2,23,644 tonnes of boiled rice, while 1,07,344 tonnes of paddy in the division during the current season until August 16.
Contracts have been signed with 4,556 millers for collecting 2,15,611.52 tonnes of boiled rice.
The enlisted millers have been supplying rice as per terms and conditions of the contract.
“We’ve also procured 16,185.95 tonnes of the wheat in the division till Tuesday last,” the regional food controller said, adding that wheat is being purchased at Taka 28 per kilogram since April 1.
The government has set a target to procure 38,522 tonnes of the newly harvested wheat in the division during the current season until June 30.
Meanwhile, farmers are now very much pleased with the present lucrative market price for the latest harvested Boro paddy in the entire region including its vast Barind tract. The prevalent selling price rate was over expectation to the farmers.
Brridhan-28 is being sold at Taka 1,020 to Taka 1,050 per mound while Ziradhan at Taka 1,150 to Taka 1,170 at present, said Atanu Sarker, sub assistant agriculture officer, while giving an overview of the present paddy marketing situation.
Muhammad Moniruzzaman, a farmer of Bijoynagar village under Godagari upazila, is now happy with his satisfactory production of paddy. He has harvested 20 to 22 maunds of paddy from a bigha of land.
“I’ve completed harvesting and threshing of my paddy of two bighas of land a couple of weeks back,” said another farmer Ahammed Hossain of Krishnapur village in Tanore upazila.
He has got 21 maunds of paddy from each bigha of land even after paying the labourers 20-kilograms of paddy for each 100 kgs of paddy for harvesting and threshing purposes.
Hossain is very much hopeful about earning a good profit by selling paddy as its price in the market is also satisfactory.
He said the newly harvested paddy is being sold at Taka 1,030 to 1,055 per maund in the local markets.
Talking to BSS, Hossain said prolonged drought and absence of rainfall increased the cost of irrigation but the pest infestation in the paddy was less due to drought that is why the production was good this year.
Boro farming has exceeded the target by 6,783 hectares of land in Rajshahi division this season as the farmers have cultivated paddy on more lands compared to the previous season because they are happy with the selling price of transplanted Aman paddy at present.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set the target of producing 35.24 lakh tonnes of paddy from 8.10 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts of the Rajshahi division during the current season.
But the farmers have brought 8.17 lakh hectares of land generating scopes of additional rice production, officials said.