The government is formulating a roadmap for quick increase of rice production considering annual demand for the staple, said Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque on Thursday.
“The government is formulating a roadmap for increasing huge rice production within 1-2 years,” he said.
The minister said this in a meeting on raising rice production by cultivating hi-yielding inbreed and super hybrid at the ministry's conference room.
Dr Razzaque said although the country witnessed record rice production during Aush, Aman and Boro season and even the public sector food stock is also highest in record, but rice price trend is upward and anyhow the price could not be controlled.
The price of rice is going upward even during the harvest feast on the arrival of aman rice across the country, the minister said.
“Under this situation, we have to raise rice production quickly in order to keep the rice price under control of the lower income people,” he said.
To raise the rice production, he said cultivation and transformation of newly-invented ultra high-yielding inbreed and super hybrid varieties should have to be increased as our arable land is shrinking gradually.
Apart from this, rice cultivation should have to be extended in adverse areas including hilly region, haor and coastal basins and that is why a concrete action will be taken targeting to increase rice production during next boro, aush and aman seasons.
The government will distribute seed at free of cost and fertilizer price also will be reduced aiming to increase rice production, said the minister.
He said the abnormal price hike of wheat at the international market also has made the situation worsen as per ton wheat price now reached $450, up from $230-280.
In 2020-21, the country's overall wheat import was almost 4.8 million tons while it now stands at only 1.6 million tons till January, during the fiscal year.
Due to abnormal wheat price inflation at the international market, the country's wheat import is ultimately lower compared to the last year and that’s why the unit price of atta and flour is rather higher at the local market compared to rice price.
