Despite the government’s claim of food sufficiency, a result of bumper rice production in the country over the last two years, Bangladesh had to import rice from abroad this year.
Food Minister Abdur Razzaque said this admitting that most of the farmers lost their interest in rice production, as they had not received fair prices for the last two years.
“The domestic production of rice has plummeted suddenly. After a rise in the price of rice, the farmers again started cultivating rice which may increase the local production this year.”
The minister said this to reporters at a press conference in the conference room of the Press Information Department organised to describe his ministry’s five-year achievements.
The minister said the prime minister would lay the foundation stone for the construction work of the silo today at Mongla Sea Port near Sundarban.
According to the Directorate General of Food, traders and importers of the private sector have imported rice worth TK3.01b this year, which was only TK10m last year.
Most of the rice imported last year was fine rice like Basmoti and Jasmine from Thailand. However, this year the government has imported coarse rice too.
Abdur Razzaque said local production has increased by 5 million tonnes and now the total production stands at 35m tonnes.
“The government has not imported any rice from abroad over the last two years as our farmers have produced a huge amount of it locally. The government provided incentives to farmers and reduced fertiliser prices to increase local production,” he added.
The government was trying to increase storage capacity of the silos and food warehouses, which could contain only 1.4m tonnes of food grains when the present government took office.
The storage capacity has already been increased to 1.9 million tonnes. The initiative to increase it up to 2.1m tonnes by 2015 has been taken. It will increase up to 3m tonnes by 2021, he noted.
The silo will be constructed at the expense of TK5.36b. A 250m length jetty will also be set up at the Mognla Port.
“It will ease the unloading process of food grain at the sea port.”
When asked about his ministry’s achievement and performance during the five-year Awami League rule, he said, “I am completely satisfied.”
