In order to ensure food security of 20 crore people in 2050, work is underway to double the productivity of rice, said the Minister of Agriculture Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque MP. He said that on the one hand, the cultivable land in the country is declining; on the other hand, the population and the risk of climate change are increasing. To meet the needs of the growing population from this declining land, rice productivity needs to be more than doubled. Government is working towards the goal.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a presentation and unveiling of a strategy paper titled 'Doubling Rice Productivity in Bangladesh-DRP' at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital on Wednesday. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRI) Mujib formulated this strategy paper on the occasion of its centenary.
The minister said that in 2050, people's income will increase and purchasing power will also increase. Consumption and demand for food will increase. Ensuring food security in this situation is a big challenge. Emphasis is being placed on increasing production by innovating and innovating technologies as well as reducing yield gaps. Emphasis is also being laid on nutritional development of paddy and safe food production for nutritional security.
Minister mentioned that the DRP strategy formulated by Brie to double productivity will serve as a guideline. He added that our scientists have formulated a very beautiful, structured and precise action plan. Before formulating such a strategy like DRP, the cooperation of foreign experts or foreign agencies was required. It would have cost a lot. But it is a great achievement made by our agricultural scientists.
State Minister for Planning said in a special guest speech. Shamsul Alam said that the plan to double the productivity of rice in the DRP is not a dream but achievable and realistic. For the existence of the country, it is essential for the people. Productivity needs to be more than doubled.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Md Mesbahul Islam presided over the function. BARC executive chairman was the negotiator.
The main article was presented by the Director General of BRRI Md. Shahjahan Kabir. He said that Double Rice Productivity-DRP is an integrated model where the yield of paddy will increase continuously, uncultivated and fallow land will come under cultivation, agricultural mechanization will take place at a massive rate, quality of paddy will increase, fair price of paddy and rice will be ensured and risk in paddy production will be reduced. It is the result of two years of relentless work by 40 researchers.
According to the book, if 75% of the action plan can be implemented, the country will have a surplus of 42 lakh metric tonnes in 2030, 53 lakh metric tonnes in 2040 and 75 lakh metric tonnes in 2050. As a result, even if rice production is reduced to 4 million metric tons per year in any disaster, food security will remain intact. It will be possible to achieve the target of SDG-2 or Zero Hunger by 2030.
It may be mentioned that the average production of rice per hectare in 1971-72 was a little over 1 ton. At present the average production of rice per hectare is more than 4 (four) tons.
