NARSINGDI, May 30 (BSS): Boro paddy and rice procurement drive have begun in the district amid enthusiasm among the millers.
The government has set a target to purchase a total of 1,106 tonnes of paddy from the farmers directly, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Suriaya Begum disclosed this at a meeting recently.
She said 1,660 tonnes of rice will be purchased from 30 millers of the district during the current Boro season.
Per kg paddy would be purchased from the farmers at Tk 22 and per kg rice from the millers at Tk 32.
District Controller of Food Nasiruzzaman said the procurement drive has started in the district and about 100 tonnes of rice have already been purchased.
He said the procurement work will continue until August 31.
The controller expressed the hope that the target of purchasing Boro paddy and rice will be achieved in the district.
Another report adds: About 0.15 million tonnes of summer vegetables are expected to be produced in the district during the current season.
The DAE sources said if the favourable weather condition continues in the next couple of weeks, the production target would be achieved breaking all previous records.
About 8,880 hectares of land were brought under summer vegetables cultivation in six upazilas of the district in the current season against 7,600 hectares in the previous year.
DAE Deputy Director Tota Pad Hossain said his department provided training on adverse effects of using pesticides and chemical fertilisers in vegetables fields.
The department also gave training on pest management.
He said the DAE has set a target to cultivate vegetables on 1,200 hectares of land in the district.
The farmers are now producing organic vegetables by using compost instead of chemical fertilisers and poisonous pesticides.
Various kinds of summer vegetables like lady's finger, kakrol, korala, koida, cucumber, pumpkin, borboti, brinjal, potal, puishak and datashak are growing abundantly in Sadar, Shibpur, Raipura and Belabo upazilas of the district
Narsingdi, one of famous districts of the country for vegetables production, is supplying 30 to 40 per cent of its production to the capital city of Dhaka and other districts after meeting the local demand.
A good number of poor farmers in different upazilas of the district achieved economic self-reliance through vegetables farming during the last couple of the years, the DAE sources said.
