The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has reached a final decision to provide the farmers with 51,300 farm machines under its mechanization project.
The farm mechanization project worth Tk 30.2 billion is the biggest of its kind in the country under which farmers will get 50-70 per cent incentives to purchase 13 kinds of modern farm machines, ministry officials said.
The project styled 'Agricultural Mechanization through Coordinated Management' has been taken up to help minimize production cost and boost crop output, said MoA secretary Md Nasiruzzaman.
The government got into difficulties due to a shortage of labourers amid fear of the coronavirus pandemic during the April-May period in haor and other regions, he added.
"We have felt necessity for bringing a massive change in farm mechanization to tackle labour shortage and raise productivity too."
The secretary also said it is a dream project for the country's farm sector which could move the sector forward.
The Planning Commission has also recently approved the project under which the farmers could purchase 15,500 units of combined harvesters dedicated for rice or wheat at 50-70 per cent of incentives.
Under the project, farmers will also be able to buy 4,000 reapers, 2,000 reaper binders, 3,000 rice transplanters, 5,000 seeders, 5,000 power threshers, 5,000 maize shellers and 5,000 dryers.
Farmers will also get 2,000 power sprayers, 500 power weeders, 3,000 potato diggers, 300 carrot washers and 1,000 potato chipmakers.
Haor farmers could purchase a machine at maximum 70 per cent of incentives. Farmers in other regions could get machines at 50 per cent incentives, according to MoA.
Mr Nasiruzzaman said the machines will be purchased through Open Tender Method (OTM) to prevent any corruption or overprice.
There is no alternative but to buy modern machines to make the country's agriculture sector more competitive by raising crop yield and minimizing production cost, he added.
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