Tk 438mn boost for Aush production

The government will be providing over Tk 438 million as incentive to almost 350,000 peasants for cultivating Aush paddy.

This will help produce an additional 111,000 metric-tonnes of rice, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said on Wednesday.

The incentive will be provided in the current year to peasants of 47 districts for buying Ufsi-breed Aush seeds and fertilisers necessary for cultivating one acre of land.

Meanwhile, the government will also provide 7,000 peasants of 18 districts over Tk 12.3 million to produce Nerica-breed of Aush paddy, the minister added.

The incentives will be provided within the next 15 days, she said.

On the other hand, peasants will get 20kg of urea and 10kg of MOT and DAP fertilizers for Ufsi-breed Aush.

The incentive will produce an additional 32.2 metric tonnes of rice at a price of Tk 29 per kg, Matia Chowdhury said.

Stating that high yielding variety seeds are produced only for the Boro paddy, she said that demand for food is increasing with population. “We want to motivate farmers to produce Aush. Since Aush is dependent on rain, little irrigation is enough for this breed.”

A list for peasants would be prepared in presence of the concerned block’s Deputy Assistant Agriculture official, Upazila agriculture implementation committee approved Upazila-level officer and relevant UP Chairman or members. The Upazila agriculture rehabilitation implementation committee will then approve the list.

Agriculture Minister said over 2.3 million metric tonnes of Aush were produced in the fiscal year 2011-12. She expected that it was possible to produce up to 400 million metric tonnes of Aush in the current fiscal.
Peasants were provided very little incentive in 2011 for Aush production. In 2012, the incentive was provided only for seeds.