Increase rice production at any cost: Razzaque

Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque has instructed scientists, extension workers and officials concerned to escalate the production of rice at any cost.

"Rice is our staple food, so we must put in coordinated and intensive efforts to increase our rice yield at any cost," the minister said while addressing a meeting to review the implementation of the Annual Development Project (ADP) from the conference room of his ministry on Sunday (30 January).

The minister noted that despite record production and the highest ever government stockpile, it is not possible to put a lid on the rising price of rice in the country.

"In this situation, we need to expand our paddy cultivation in haor and coastal areas and take the newly invented high productive rice varieties to the fields," Abdur Razzaque suggested.

The minister at the time ordered stringent project supervision to the officials of the ministry.

"Project directors (PDs) are appointed considering various aspects including professional skills, qualifications, leadership and management ability," Abdur Razzaque said while calling on officials not to lobby for becoming PDs.

According to the meeting, the number of ongoing projects under the Ministry of Agriculture in the current fiscal year 2021-22 stands at 71 and the total allocation is Tk2,928 crore.

By December 2021, the progress has been about 32%, which is 6% more than the national average progress. The national average progress, meanwhile, has been 24%.

Among others, Agriculture Ministry Additional Secretary Md Abdur Rauf, Kamala Ranjan Das, Md Ruhul Amin Talukder, Balai Krishna Hajra, Abdullah Sajjad, other senior officers, organisation chiefs and project directors were also present at the review meeting.