Tk 302m incentive for 0.21m Aus paddy farmers in 10 days

The government ann-ounced on Wednesday that it would distribute Tk 302 million (30.2 crore) among farmers in the form of incentives during the current Aus paddy season aiming to help scale up production.
"We will provide Tk 302 million to 210,000 (0.21 million) farmers of 48 districts. The money will be disbursed within the next ten days," Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury told the journalists while announcing the incentives at the conference room of the Ministry of Agriculture on the day. The incentive will be provided in cash and also in the form of agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilisers.
"Under the incentive programme additional 70,000 tonnes of rice will be produced. The total value of the produce will stand at Tk 2.31 billion (rice Tk 2.24 billion and straw Tk 70 million). The ratio of expenditure to income is 1:8," she mentioned.
Asked about distribution of the incentive, she said the government would maintain utmost transparency in distributing the cash, seeds and fertiliser to the farmers.
She said farmers would get the cash through bank accounts. The selected farmers would give their signatures/thumb prints at the time of receiving the agricultural inputs.
Upazila Agriculture Implementation Committee, upazila level agriculture officer and union council chairmen and members concerned will select the deserving farmers for the facilities.    
Out of the amount (Tk 302 million), Tk 243 million will be given to farmers for cultivating the Ufshi variety of Aus and Tk 59 million for the Nerica variety.
The districts are Noakhali, Jessore, Jhenidah, Bogra, Lal-monirhat, Meherpur, Gai-bandha, Natore, Joypurhat, Tangail, Mymensingh, Moul-vibazar, Khulna, Satkhira, Sirajganj, Pabna, Kishoreganj, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Gopa-lganj, Kushtia, Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Barguna, Madaripur, Bhola and Bagerhat.
The government has set a target to produce around 35 million tonnes of rice this year. Apart from giving the incentives for Aus paddy cultivation, the government has already disbursed Tk 240 million in the same form for cultivating wheat, mustard, Boro paddy and BARI Khesari.   
A total of 210,000 farmers in 48 districts will cultivate the Ufshi variety of paddy on 210,000 bighas of land during the current fiscal year (FY) 2014-15.
A total of 180,000 farmers will cultivate Ufshi Aus on 180,000 bighas in 48 districts while 30,000 farmers will grow the Nerica variety of paddy on 30,000 bighas in 37 districts.
Each of the farmers will get Tk 1,350 for the Ufshi Aus paddy production and Tk 1,970 for the Nerica variety.
About Tk 400 will be given for irrigation of both Ufshi and Nerica varieties and Tk 400 for removing unwanted wild plants for cultivating the Nerica variety.
Each of the farmers will get 5 kg seeds of the Ufshi variety and 10 kg seeds of the Nerica variety.
Besides, each farmer will receive 20 kg urea, 10 kg Muriate of Potash (MOP) and 10 kg Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) for cultivating both the varieties of Aus paddy.    
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