The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The government needs to keep at least one million tonne of food grains in hand to meet crisis. It could be done by internal procurement and through import. There is no scope to ignore it because though the production exceeds the annual demand, 10 percent depreciation against wastage and poultry food should be accounted for.

According to BBS, the country produced 2,83,87,000 metric tonnes of food grains against the target of 3,29,76,000 m.t. during the fiscal 2006-07. The production of aus was 15,12,000 m.t. ( target 22,22,000 m.t).; aman 1,08,00,000 (target 1,31,80,000 m.t).; boro 1,45,00,000 m.t. (target 1,67,40,000 m.t) and wheat 7,25,000 m.t. ( target of 8,34,000 m.t). However, after 10 percent deduction against wastage and poultry food, the total production stood at 2,53,50,000 m.t. against the annual demand of 2,79,00,000, meaning a shortfall of 26,00,000 which were met by internal procurement and import from abroad.

The new target for the fiscal 2007-08 is 3.40 crore metric tonnes against the demand of 2.83 crore metric tonnes. It has been estimated that the last year's back-to-back floods and hurricane caused loss of about 20 lakh m.t. of aus and aman; yet the production is expected to reach 3.20 crore m.t. Nevertheless the actual production finally will be 2.88 crore metric tonnes after 10 percent deduction, still above the annual demand. With this, if the government can import at least 10 lakh metric tonnes of rice and wheat, there can be no reason of horror like the price running upwards at hurricane speed.

Vietnam which fought the French and the Americans for 25 years to regain independence exported rice worth 180 crore dollars during the year 2007. The success is the combination of good planning and proper implementation, and not to waste time for the past events. Bangladesh can learn a lot from Vietnam as to how to boost food production to feed own people and to keep the price under control.

The Government of Bangladesh has allocated taka 1550 crore agricultural subsidy so that the cultivation works are not hindered for want of fertilisers and diesel. But sadly, it has been observed in many areas of the country that the farmers were demonstrating for not getting the benefits of the subsidy because of corruption at distribution level.

In view of all these, the ministry of agriculture should furnish every information as regards production target, annual demand, import quantity and all that is necessary to protect the nation from obscurity.

It is also imperative to apprise the nation whether Bangladesh is a food surplus country or the food deficit country.