Shahid for increasing cultivation of high-yielding rice to boost production

Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid today laid emphasis on increasing high-yielding rice cultivation across the country to boost rice production aiming to export the staple food after meeting domestic demand. "Bangladesh has already developed high-yielding variety of rice side by side inventing stress-tolerant variety to achieve self-sufficiency in food," he told a function on the occasion of Boro rice harvesting at Rustampur village under Srimangal upazila of Moulvibazar district, an official release said. Shahid said, "Rice is the staple food of Bangladesh . . .we have to increase high-yielding rice production in a massive scale to meet the demand of gradually increased population." At present, Bangladesh has 17 crore population, Shahid said, adding it is urgent to focus on high-yielding rice cultivation to meet demand of the large number of population. Both Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) have developed high-yielding rice alongside i nvention of salinity, flood and drought tolerant varieties. The agriculture minister urged all stakeholders including relevant organizations and farmers to take necessary measures to bring more farming land under high-yielding rice cultivation to boost production of the staple food. More than half of the total yearly rice production comes from Boro rice, he said, adding the government distributed Taka 215 crore to farmers as incentives. As such, around 50 lakh hectares of land have been brought under Boro cultivation this year. The government has fixed production target of 2.22 lakh tonnes of Boro rice this year, Shahid added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha