Call to boost fine rice yield, marketing

RAJSHAHI, Feb 26 (BSS): Speakers at a daylong seminar here today underscored the need for boosting fine and aromatic rice production and its marketing to enrich the country's export list. They also mentioned that some parts of the region is gifted with many native fine and aromatic rice varieties which have demands both at home and abroad. So, effective step should be taken to ensure liaison among farmers, traders, millers and exporters for smooth production, marketing and exporting of fine and aromatic rice as a whole. The Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) under its "Fine Rice Production and Marketing" program organized the seminar at its conference hall. BMDA Chairman Advocate Nurul Islam Thandu addressed the opening session as the chief guest with its Executive Director Shafiqur Rahman in the chair. In introductory speech of the technical session, Project Director Rafiqul Islam said the programme is being implemented in all upazilas of the Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Joypurhat and Dinajpur districts at a cost of Tk36.8 million. The programme mainly targets to produce more fine and aromatic rice in the vast Barind tract along with increase farmers' incomes and earn foreign currency from rice exports. He told the seminar that the area is conventionally familiar, as rice growing and high yield varieties are produced for local consumption. He said it is excellent that the demand for the rice in local and international markets is increasing by the day. He viewed that the high price and demand are the major advantages of producing the grain. To attain the goal, Rafique said the project has been procuring and supplying quality seeds under the contract farming system. Moreover, he cited that BMDA has ensured irrigation facilities for producing paddy. Steps have been taken to encourage some 9,000 farmers and 700 staffs to raise 390 demonstration plots through need-oriented field level training for cultivating and producing aromatic rice like Chiniatop, Kalijira, Kataribhog, Jirashail, Basmati, BRRI-34 and BRRI-50. Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Dr Ansar Ali, former Director of Department of Food Mohafez Ali and Senior Assistant Chief of Planning Ministry Shah Helal Uddin presented three separate keynote papers on production, marketing and export issues of fine and aromatic rice. Some 50 persons comprising agriculturists, researchers, food officials, traders, millers, exporters and farmers attended the seminar discussing ways and means on how to boost fine rice production and its trade and export.