DHAKA, Oct 19, 2023 (BSS) -The government will give an incentive of Taka 90 crore among 14.40 lakh farmers to increase the cultivation and production of hybrid varieties of rice in the Boro season this year.

An official order in this regard was issued today, a press release said.

The distribution activities (of the incentive) will start soon at the field level, the release said.

Under this incentive, 14.40 lakh small and marginal farmers will get two kilograms (kg) of hybrid seeds required for cultivation in one bigha of land at free of cost.

As a result, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, hybrid rice cultivation in Boro will increase by 1,92,000 hectares, and 9, 50,000 tonnes of additional rice will be produced as a yield of 4.95 metric tons per hectare.

In the last financial year 2022-23, free hybrid seeds were provided to 15 lakh farmers, which increased hybrid paddy cultivation in the lands of two lakh hectares and increased rice production by 9.83 lakh tonnes, the release said.