RAJSHAHI, Dec 29, 2021 (BSS) - The government has, so far, procured
around 80,151.88 tonnes of Aman rice during the current procurement drive
contributing a lot towards ensuring food security.

     As part of the nationwide ongoing Aman rice procurement drive, the
government has procured the food grain from all eight districts in Rajshahi
division.

     Faruque Hossain Patwary, Regional Controller of Food, said they procured
around 80,151.88 tonnes of boiled rice at the rate of Taka 40 per kilogram
till Tuesday last.

     He said the procurement drive of the newly harvested rice is going on in
full-swing everywhere in the division that created a high hope of ensuring
food security.

     Faruque Patwary said the government has set a target of procuring
1,06,173 tonnes of boiled rice during the current drive. He said they will
procure 2,904 tonnes of rice from the growers directly.

     Contracts have been signed with 3,951 millers for collecting 1,31,389.49
tonnes of boiled rice.

     They also procured 3,201.72 tonnes of paddy till the same day. Target
has been set to procure 43,404 tonnes of paddy at Taka 27 per kilogram, he
added.

     Meanwhile, harvesting of the transplanted Aman paddy is on the final
stage everywhere in the division at present.

     Farmers are also happy after getting satisfactory yield of the newly
harvested Aman paddy which has also generated scopes of ensuring food
security.

     DAE officials said suitable climate conditions along with frequent
rainfall during the farming season unleashed the hope of getting desired
production of T-Aman paddy.

     Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target of producing
more than 20.49 lakh metric tons of transplanted Aman rice from 7.74 lakh
hectares of land in the division this season.

     DAE Additional Director Sirajul Islam said 34,400 farmers were given
incentives of seed and fertilizers worth around Taka 2.54 crore for the paddy
farming in the division during the current season.

     Nazmul Hossain, 47, a farmer of Gohomabona village under Paba upazila,
said he has got around six tonnes yield of BRRI Dhan-75 variety per hectare
of land this season.

     Another farmer Jahangir Alam, 54, of Bhujail village under Nachole
upazila has achieved yield from 5.5 to six tonnes of BRRI Dhan-51 per hectare
on an average.

     Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has released seven modern
paddy varieties of the Aman paddy for the welfare of common farmers in the
region particularly in its vast Barind tract, said Dr Fazlul Islam, principal
scientific officer of BRRI.

     The varieties are comparatively high yielding, drought tolerant and
shorter in duration than the local variety 'Swarna' which is prone to various
diseases and insects that always affect the paddy.

     Dr Islam said farmers have been encouraged to cultivate the latest
varieties through various interventions including block demonstration, plots
projection and supplying of seed free of cost.

     He also said the modern varieties have opened up doors in enormous
prospects of food security along with mitigating the crises of irrigation
water.

     Dr Islam also mentioned that Parija and Swarna varieties are being
replaced by some of the developed varieties that can boost the Aman output.