Surplus wheat output expected
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Yasir Wardad
The country is going to achieve a surplus production of wheat this year, officials said. The second staple food grain of the country, wheat, is going to surpass its production target of 1.162 million tonnes, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials said. "Last year the farmers got reasonable price and the climate is very sound this year, which has helped a lot leading to a good production", director general of DAE Md Habibur Rahman said. He told the FE that the farmers also got quality seeds, there was no crisis of fertilizer nor water for irrigation. So, DAE was expecting that the production target would exceed this year. According to DAE accounts, local wheat production has been declining steadily over the past one decade after hitting a record high of 1.9 million tonnes in 1997-98. Experts said cost of wheat import would continue to grow with the change of people's food habit and decline in dedicated farm land for wheat crop. When his attention was drawn to the issue, he said: "The government is very much aware of the food security and the importance of food grain. We are working hard to popularise wheat farming in the country in view of reducing food grain import." The acreage target was 4.15 million hectares this year against last year's 3.48 million hectares where 0.958,157 million tonnes of wheat was grown, according to the DAE. A high official of the Field Wing of DAE informed the FE that the acreage target has been nearly achieved. Md. Mahosin Ali, additional director, Rangpur Region of DAE told the FE that this year 122,605 hectares land have been brought under cultivation against last year's 115000 hectares in eight districts of the region. He informed that the volume of the food grain is very good this year, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari have achieved their acreage target, the weather is very favourable. "I'm expecting that the production would surpass the target of 362,373 hectares," he said. DAE, Rajshahi Region told the FE that 124,800 hectares of land had been cultivated for wheat against the target of 132,308 hectares. Dr. Kalidash Debnath, additional director, DAE, Rajshahi region told the FE that they were expecting the production would surpass the target of 370,462 tonnes. According to the DAE, Barisal Region, the third largest acreage area, above 57,400 hectares of land had been irrigated for wheat this year in 11 districts of the region. Additional director of DAE, Barisal Region Md. Shah Alam said the harvest was going on and it would end by the last week of April. "We are expecting that the production would surpass its 179,648 tonnes target," Md. Alam said. The country last year (2009-10FY) consumed 3.5 million tonnes of wheat, only 0.9 million out of which was produced locally and the rest 2.6 million tonnes was imported.
The country is going to achieve a surplus production of wheat this year, officials said. The second staple food grain of the country, wheat, is going to surpass its production target of 1.162 million tonnes, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials said. "Last year the farmers got reasonable price and the climate is very sound this year, which has helped a lot leading to a good production", director general of DAE Md Habibur Rahman said. He told the FE that the farmers also got quality seeds, there was no crisis of fertilizer nor water for irrigation. So, DAE was expecting that the production target would exceed this year. According to DAE accounts, local wheat production has been declining steadily over the past one decade after hitting a record high of 1.9 million tonnes in 1997-98. Experts said cost of wheat import would continue to grow with the change of people's food habit and decline in dedicated farm land for wheat crop. When his attention was drawn to the issue, he said: "The government is very much aware of the food security and the importance of food grain. We are working hard to popularise wheat farming in the country in view of reducing food grain import." The acreage target was 4.15 million hectares this year against last year's 3.48 million hectares where 0.958,157 million tonnes of wheat was grown, according to the DAE. A high official of the Field Wing of DAE informed the FE that the acreage target has been nearly achieved. Md. Mahosin Ali, additional director, Rangpur Region of DAE told the FE that this year 122,605 hectares land have been brought under cultivation against last year's 115000 hectares in eight districts of the region. He informed that the volume of the food grain is very good this year, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari have achieved their acreage target, the weather is very favourable. "I'm expecting that the production would surpass the target of 362,373 hectares," he said. DAE, Rajshahi Region told the FE that 124,800 hectares of land had been cultivated for wheat against the target of 132,308 hectares. Dr. Kalidash Debnath, additional director, DAE, Rajshahi region told the FE that they were expecting the production would surpass the target of 370,462 tonnes. According to the DAE, Barisal Region, the third largest acreage area, above 57,400 hectares of land had been irrigated for wheat this year in 11 districts of the region. Additional director of DAE, Barisal Region Md. Shah Alam said the harvest was going on and it would end by the last week of April. "We are expecting that the production would surpass its 179,648 tonnes target," Md. Alam said. The country last year (2009-10FY) consumed 3.5 million tonnes of wheat, only 0.9 million out of which was produced locally and the rest 2.6 million tonnes was imported.