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Project Teesta eases farmers, save nearly Tk 95cr in irrigation costs

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Teesta

Farmers in 3 northern districts, residing in the area covered by the Teesta Irrigation Project, saved around Tk 95 crore in irrigation costs during the ongoing Aman season as they got surface water from the Teesta through the canal network at a cheap rate.

The scenario is different from other areas across the country, where farmers are overburdened with additional irrigation costs due to insufficient rainfall and increased fuel prices.

According to the Water Development Board (WDB), about 63,000 hectares of land in 10 upazilas under Nilphamari, Rangpur and Dinajpur along the Teesta project area were brought under the irrigation facilities this year.

WDB’s Rangpur Divisional Chief Extension Officer Abdul Hakim said about 3.8 lakh tonnes of Aman paddy worth around Tk 1,200 crore is likely to be produce in Teesta project area.

This is possible because the farmers got simple irrigation facilities in the adverse weather condition, he said.

“Around 330km canal network, out of total 712km, is capable of carrying water to the Aman fields and the areas brought under the irrigation facilities. The remaining 382km canal network need repairs. The project would get better result if those were functional,” Hakim added.

Nilphamari WDB Sub Divisional Engineer (SDE) Abdul Hannan said they provided the irrigation facilities to the farmers under the project at Tk 1,200 per hectares (247 decimals).

However, according to farmers and agriculture authorities, it costs Tk 15,000 to irrigate the same amount of land outside the project area.

That means, the project farmers managed to save Tk 95 crore fuel cost this year while irrigating 63,000 hectares land.

Subid Ali, 55, a farmer of Ganjipur village in Rangpur’s Gangachara upazila said, “I cultivated Aman on one acre land within the project area and had to spent only Tk 480 as irrigation cost. It would cost Tk 6,000 outside the project.”

Farmers said Aman cultivation was badly hampered due to inadequate rainfall from mid-June to mid-August this year.

To overcome the drought-like situation in the northern districts, farmers outside the project area had to depend on diesel-run water pumps or deep tube wells to irrigate their fields.

Nilphamari WDB Executive Engineer Krishnakamol Chandra Sarker said recently the government allocated funds to repair the canals under the project, which is currently going on.

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TCB Approved to Procure 1.10cr Litres of Edible Oil, 10,000 Metric Tons of Lentils

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The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) has given approval for the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to procure 1.10 crore litres of edible oil and 10,000 metric tons of lentils. The TCB will conduct these purchases as part of its open market sale (OMS) program.

In a meeting presided over by Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali on February 29, the CCGP approved two separate proposals presented by the commerce ministry on behalf of TCB.

According to the proposals, the TCB will import 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil through an open tender from City Edible Oil Ltd. The total cost of this procurement is Tk174.66 crore, with each litre priced at Tk165.25.

Additionally, the TCB will acquire 8,000 metric tons of lentils from Nabi Naba Food Limited, costing Tk83.12 crore, with each kilogram priced at Tk103.09.

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Rice Varieties and Prices Must Now be Printed on Bags, says Ministry of Food

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Rice Varieties and Prices Must Now be Printed on Bags, Declares Ministry

The Ministry of Food has issued a directive mandating the inclusion of selling prices of rice at mill gates and the specific rice varieties on bags. The move aims to curb potential price hikes and enhance transparency in the rice market. According to the announcement on Wednesday (21 February), rice-producing millers must display essential details such as mill name, district and upazila name, production date, mill gate price, and rice variety on bags before supplying for commercial purposes.

The ministry’s decision follows observations in various rice-producing districts, revealing the sale of rice from the same paddy type under different names and prices. The notice highlights the blame game among millers, wholesalers, and retailers during sudden price fluctuations, causing inconvenience for consumers in obtaining desired rice varieties at fair prices and leading to financial strain.

To enforce these guidelines, the ministry emphasizes that information on rice bags should not be handwritten with ink. Instead, rice-producing mill owners must ensure that all sacks/packets bear printed details as specified. Corporate bodies are also required to adhere to these guidelines, with the option to include maximum retail prices in addition to mill gate prices.

District administrators, upazila executive officers, and food controllers are instructed to confirm compliance during inspections. Any violation of these guidelines may result in necessary actions as per the provisions outlined in the “Production, Storage, Transfer, Transportation, Supply, Distribution and Marketing of Food Products (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Act, 2023.”

 

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Govt Initiatives Drive Lentil Cultivation, Targeting High Yields

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Lentil

Around 54,101 tonnes of lentils are expected to be produced from 35,380 hectares of land in the division during the current Rabi season, officials said.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a production target of 32,411 tonnes of lentils from 20,620 hectares of land in four districts of its Rajshahi Agricultural Zone and 21,690 tonnes from 14,755 hectares of land in four other districts of the Bogura Zone.

DAE’s Additional Director Shamsul Wadud stated that all possible measures were taken to achieve the production target, providing farmers with newly developed high-yielding varieties of lentils. Small and marginalized farmers received seed and fertilizer support for lentil cultivation free of cost under the government’s agriculture incentive program.

Abul Kalam Azad, a farmer in Godagari Upazila, mentioned that he cultivates lentils to avoid irrigation water-related hassles for paddy. He cultivated lentils on six bighas of land this year without incurring extra irrigation costs. Farmers in the region find lentil cultivation appealing due to lower irrigation expenses and have witnessed abundant production in recent years.

Zakir Hossain, another farmer, highlighted that growers are increasingly interested in lentil cultivation due to its lower irrigation cost and consistently high yields in recent years. Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker noted that farmers have achieved better yields in cash crops due to the promotion of high-yielding varieties and modern management practices.

Efforts from government and non-government entities are encouraging farmers to cultivate water-saving crops like lentils in the Barind area to alleviate the growing pressure on underground water resources. Over 1,500 volunteers are engaged in promoting water resource management for less water-consuming crops as part of the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Project.

Farmers’ interest in lentil cultivation has grown as they have experienced lucrative market prices for the crop in recent years. IWRM Project Coordinator Jahangir Alam Khan explained that farmers in high Barind areas, facing high irrigation costs for paddy farming, find lentil cultivation appealing due to its lower irrigation requirements.

Dr. Jagadish Chandra Barman, Principal Scientific Officer at the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, emphasized the potential for significant lentil output in the Barind region. Cultivating lentils on around 80,000 hectares of fallow land after the harvest of transplanted Aman paddy could substantially contribute to reducing the country’s reliance on lentil imports.

The article concludes by highlighting the bright prospects of increasing lentil acreage, producing larger quantities with lower production costs, and reducing the pressure on lentil imports to meet domestic demand.

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