Govt intensifies efforts to bolster food security amid economic turmoil

In the face of the ongoing economic crisis with a declining import capacity and industrial production triggered by reserve crunch, the Ministry of Agriculture has given utmost importance to food security by increasing production of staple crops including rice and wheat, bringing more land under cultivation, and bolstering free supply of fertilisers and seeds to farmers.

Furthermore, the ministry has also undertaken efforts to boost the production of other essential crops, including onion, potato, pulses, and maize.

There has also been a decision not to increase fertiliser prices to prevent any additional burden on farmers' production costs to keep the rising commodity prices under control, officials within the ministry say.

According to data revealed by the ministry, for the upcoming Boro season, the target for paddy cultivation land has been expanded by 1.88 lakh hectares, with the rice production goal increased by 1.5 lakh tonnes to reach 2.23 crore tonnes.

Similarly, the wheat production target has been raised by 58,000 tonnes to 12.28 lakh tonnes.

Officials say while most ministries have slowed down their regular activities following the announcement of the 12th national polls schedule, the Ministry of Agriculture is working diligently to implement policies aimed at boosting rice production for the upcoming Boro season.

Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter told The Business Standard that the ministry has set a target to elevate rice production by expanding cultivation land during the forthcoming Boro season. The initiative is being taken to eliminate the need for rice imports in the future, as was witnessed in the current financial year.

"In addition to rice, we have also set a target to increase wheat production. Owing to the flourishing bakery industry, wheat consumption stands at around 70 lakh tonnes per annum, while domestic production hovers around 12 lakh tonnes. We are implementing measures to gradually increase wheat production while maintaining rice output," she said.

She emphasised that cultivating conventional rice varieties offers limited scope for boosting agricultural output on the same land area. Therefore, farmers are being encouraged to adopt new hybrid rice varieties.

Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture say the government spent Tk500 crore as a direct incentive to boost farmers' production in the previous fiscal year, facilitating the provision of free seeds and fertilisers. This year, the allocated fund has been raised to Tk600 crore.

According to officials, farmers are generally keen to cultivate traditional BR28 and BR29 rice varieties. However, as these varieties have been cultivated for over a decade on the same land, the yield has plateaued.

Consequently, farmers will be encouraged to shift towards cultivating high-yielding varieties such as BR-97, BR-98, BR-99, BR-100, or Bangabandhu Rice-100 to enhance production.

Maize, onion, potatoes production target

In addition to rice and wheat, the Ministry of Agriculture has set a target to boost maize production, aiming to achieve around 67 lakh tonnes, which is three lakh tonnes higher than the previous year.

Focusing on addressing the abnormal increase in onion prices in recent years, the ministry is prioritising an increase in onion production this year. Similarly, with a significant rise in potato prices this season, the ministry aims to enhance the production of this essential commodity.

The ministry aims to raise potato production by 8 lakh tonnes to reach 1.16 crore tonnes, and an additional 3 lakh tonnes of onions during the Rabi season. Notably, the country produced 34.56 lakh tonnes of onions last year.

Similarly, a target has been set to increase the production of spices like garlic, chilli, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and black cumin.

Despite the continuous decline in arable land, Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter emphasised the need to augment agricultural production. She said to maintain farmers' interest, the government has decided to keep fertiliser prices unchanged despite providing substantial subsidies.

She further said, "A successful paddy harvest during the Boro season guarantees food security for around nine months. Moreover, farmers are drawn to rice cultivation for their own food security. Given the abnormally high food prices in the global market, ensuring food security during the Boro season remains our top priority."

Other initiatives

Officials from the ministry say along with free fertilisers and seeds, the government is providing tractors and harvester machines at subsidised prices through various projects.

As part of an initiative to enhance agricultural services at the grassroots level, a scheme has been launched to issue Farmer Smart Cards to 2.27 crore farmers across 495 upazilas in the country.