The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Department of Agriculture Extension has set up the target of producing 3.25 crore metric tonnes of food grains during the fiscal year 2007-08 against the annual demand of 2.83 crore metric tonnes. From this point, even if the amon crops to the extent of 15 lakh metric tonnes were damaged by the back-to-back floods of the month of August and the 11/15 hurricane, there is no fear of food deficit in the country, no matter whether the government imports additional rice from abroad at this moment or not. In addition, several lakh metric tonnes of rice are already in the hands of the government to meet crisis.

The problem lies elsewhere and it is that correct data on any subject is not easily available in Bangladesh.

Consequently, imaginary data and figure are quoted at seminar, symposium, indoor or outdoor meeting and press conference, and in writing essay or story. As for example, it is being repeatedly propagated that the country is in the grip of possible food shortage and the situation will take a serious turn in the month of March 2008. e tonne of amon-aus rice.

In fact, neither the back-to-back flood nor the hurricane caused any damage to this year's boro cultivation. In view thereof, why should there be dread of food shortage?

Rather, news of the imaginary food deficit has helped rise of rice price by taka two in seven days from December 7 and thereby increased the cost of living.

The production cost of paddy per kilo was taka 14 in 2006. It will verily rise as the government has increased the price of different fertilisers by nearly 50 to 100 percent. Moreover, it is learnt that the marginal and the landless farmers are not getting the diesel subsidy. But they cannot wait long for this. To keep the cultivation on, they will be compelled to buy from open market and take loan from the moneylenders at high rate of interests. Thus, the production cost will be proportionately increasing.

A rice trader at retailer level said, "There is abundance of rice in market. The news of (possible) food shortage is purely based on conjecture.

What is urgently needed to clear obscurity about the country's food position is that the government must issue a press note detailing the amount of production during the fiscal 07, present target, actual damage done to the crops by two natural calamities and stock in hand."

Through out the world, subsidy in the agricultural sector is agiven. But, that allocation is not sufficient if it does not reach the genuine farmers. Nothing is more powerful than hunger.