A Correspondent:
Khulna: The government has set a target of procuring 28,278 tonnes of aman paddy and 81,858 tonnes of aman rice from all 10 districts in Khulna division during the current season.
Under the procurement drive, the Food Department has been procuring paddy at Taka 30 per kilogram and rice at Taka 44 per kilogram since November 23 in 2023 and the procurement will be ended on Feb-ruary 28, 2024.
According to regional food controller office, a total of 3,309 tonnes of Aman paddy will be procured in Khulna, 2,562 tonnes in Bagerhat, 2,982 tonnes in Satkhira, 5,283 tonnes in Jashore, 4,121 tonnes in Jhenaidah, 2482 tonnes in Magura, 1,506 tonnes in Narail, 3,669 tonnes in Kushtia, 1,355 tonnes in Chuadanga and 1,009 tonnes in Meherpur.
Besides, a total of 10,287 tonnes of Aman rice will be procured in Khulna, 2,943.99 tonnes in Bagerhat, 7663.98 tonnes in Satkhira, 15271.64 tonnes in Jashore, 9970.49 tonnes in Jhenaidah, 2824.95 tonnes in Magura, 2198.02 tonnes in Narail, 26925.30 tonnes in Kushtia, 3231.83 tonnes in Chuadanga and
540.99 tonnes in Meherpur.
“We will procure paddy from farmers directly and to buy rice from 822 mills in the division,” said Md Abdus Salam, regional controller of food in Khulna.
Meanwhile, harvesting of the transplanted Aman paddy is going on in full swing everywhere in the divi-sion generating seasonal employment scopes of scores of unemployed people at present.
Farmers are also happy after getting satisfactory yield of the newly harvested Aman paddy which has also generated scopes of ensuring food security.
DAE officials said suitable climate conditions along with frequent rainfall during the farming season unleashed the hope of getting desired production of T-Aman paddy.
Besides, tyranny of the middle man has been reduced after the government directly procuring the rice and paddy side by side marginal farmers became happy as they got fair price directly connected with local government representatives, Md Abdus Salam added.
