Covid-19: Govt relooks at agriculture; now also focuses on farm mechanisation
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
Covid-19: Govt relooks at agriculture; now also focuses on farm mechanisation

Bazaar

UNB
07 May, 2020, 11:40 am
Last modified: 07 May, 2020, 12:52 pm

Related News

  • S Korea says it will spare no effort to help North Korea amid Covid outbreak
  • Kim Jong Un orders North Korea military to 'stabilise' drug supply amid Covid outbreak
  • RMCH shuts down its corona unit
  • Beijing works from home, Shanghai says victory against Covid getting closer
  • N Korea says six dead after admitting Covid outbreak for first time

Covid-19: Govt relooks at agriculture; now also focuses on farm mechanisation

The machines are being provided with the raised allocation of Tk 200 crore kept aside for agricultural mechanisation, said officials at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)

UNB
07 May, 2020, 11:40 am
Last modified: 07 May, 2020, 12:52 pm
Photo: UNB
Photo: UNB

Recognising the importance of agricultural mechanisation amid the coronavirus pandemic, the government has planned to provide farmers with 300 combine harvesters and 500 reapers at subsidised prices within the current fiscal year to face the scarcity of farm workers.
 
The machines are being provided with the raised allocation of Tk 200 crore kept aside for agricultural mechanisation, said officials at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
 
The machines will help harvest paddy in a shorter time protecting the crops from the damage of any flashflood and heavy rainfall in Haor and other crisis-hit districts, according to the officials.
 
They said the government now promotes quality combine harvesters instead of substandard and small harvesters and reaper machines as the demand for the large combine harvesters is on the sharp rise due to smooth harvesting and low cost.
 
"We want to provide quality (harvesting) machines. We've the experiences that small machines don't work well. We don't want people to criticise the government for such substandard machines," said Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque while talking to UNB.
 
Mentioning that they want to provide combine harvesters of three companies --Yanmar, Kubota and Metal, he said the prices of the Yanmar and Kubota brands harvester machines is in between Tk 28-30 lakh each, while the price of a machine of metal brand, which has smaller capacity, is around Tk 20 lakh, he said.
 
"We also want to go for the use of machines in paddy transplantation," he said adding that the government puts emphasis on farm mechanisation to address the scarcity of farm workers and reduce the production cost.
 
The minister said a project titled 'Agricultural Mechanisation through Integrated Management' involving Tk 3,000 crore is now awaiting approval of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) and its implementation can be started in the upcoming fiscal year.
 
"The agricultural sector will largely adopt mechanisation in the country within the next three years," he said.
Dr Abdur Razzaque said the government has taken all the preparations to complete the harvesting of boro crops amid the countrywide shutdown enforced to check the spread of coronavirus.
 
Mentioning that more than 50 percent of haor paddy has already been harvested, he expects that there will be no problem in harvest the boro crops in other plain districts, even during rainfall there.
 
The government has recently increased the allocation to Tk 200 crore from Tk 100 crore for agricultural mechanisation following the countrywide shutdown.
 
With the initial allocation of Tk 100 crore, the government provided some 800 combine harvesters – both small and large machines-- and 400 reaper machines. Among those, 570 harvesters and 133 reapers have already reached the field, said Sheikh Md Nazim Uddin, coordinator of the subsidy cell of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
 
Besides, 400 large combine harvesters and 100 reapers are likely to be provided with another amount of Tk 100 crore allocated in the second phase, he said adding that the now demand for large combine harvesters other than smaller ones and reaper machines is on the sharp rise as the large harvesters are commercially viable.
 
Nazim Uddin, who was project director of Farm Machination Phase-I and Phase-II implemented in 2010-2012 and 2013-2019, said the government provides subsidy to share some 50pc-70pc of prices of agricultural machines.
 
He said there are some 3,000 combine harvesters and 7,000-8,000 reaper machines throughout the country to harvest paddy. "Of these, 1,500 combine harvesters and around 4,000 reapers are perhaps active now."
 
Among the harvesters, the number of large combine harvesters is around 600 in the country, said the official.
 
He, however, said 80,000-100,000 combine harvesters are required to cover the entire country.
 
Nazim Uddin said the paddy harvesting may go mechanised in most areas of the country within the next five years.

Top News / Covid-19 in Bangladesh

mechanisation / agriculture / machines / Agro Farm / Farmers / COVID-19 / Coronavirus / harvest / reapers

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Social safety budget to stay same despite inflation rise
    Social safety budget to stay same despite inflation rise
  • RMG makers worried over move on power tariff hike
    RMG makers worried over move on power tariff hike
  • A packet of US five-dollar bills is inspected at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington March 26, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron
    Dollar hits Tk100 mark in open market

MOST VIEWED

  • Urban areas are already emerging as the new poverty frontier. Photo: Mumit M/TBS
    TCB truck sales apparently draw to a close
  • Mango starts appearing in Rajshahi markets
    Mango starts appearing in Rajshahi markets
  • File photo of onions. Picture: Mumit M/TBS
    Onion price goes up by Tk12 kg in Satkhira
  • File Photo: Rehman Asad/TBS
    Onion price spirals despite adequate stock
  • File photo of onions. Picture: Mumit M/TBS
    Onion prices up Tk15 a kg as govt halts import
  • Representational image. Picture: Collected
    Rush of old supply orders affects edible oil supply

Related News

  • S Korea says it will spare no effort to help North Korea amid Covid outbreak
  • Kim Jong Un orders North Korea military to 'stabilise' drug supply amid Covid outbreak
  • RMCH shuts down its corona unit
  • Beijing works from home, Shanghai says victory against Covid getting closer
  • N Korea says six dead after admitting Covid outbreak for first time

Features

Despite Bangladesh having about 24,000 km of waterways, only a few hundred kilometres are covered by commercial launch services. Photo: Saad Abdullah

Utilising waterways: When common home-goers show the way

11h | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

How Putin revived Nato

12h | Panorama
The reception is a volumetric box-shaped room that has two glass walls on both the front and back ends and the other two walls are adorned with interior plants, wood and aluminium screens. Photo: Noor-A-Alam

The United House: Living and working inside nature

12h | Habitat
Pcycle team members at a waste management orientation event. Photo: Courtesy

Pcycle: Turning waste from bins into beautiful crafts

14h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

The first mosque in India was built Prophet Mohammad time

The first mosque in India was built Prophet Mohammad time

4h | Videos
After six decades ,the Archies is back

After six decades ,the Archies is back

4h | Videos
Exporters in discomfort, expatriates preferring Hundi

Exporters in discomfort, expatriates preferring Hundi

4h | Videos
Can your coworker be your closest friend?

Can your coworker be your closest friend?

14h | Videos

Most Read

1
Representative Photo: Pixabay.
Bangladesh

Microplastics found in 5 local sugar brands

2
Mushfiq Mobarak. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
Panorama

Meet the Yale professor who anchors his research in Bangladesh and scales up interventions globally

3
The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter
Industry

The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter

4
How Bangladesh can achieve edible oil self-sufficiency with local alternatives
Bazaar

How Bangladesh can achieve edible oil self-sufficiency with local alternatives

5
Govt tightens belt to relieve reserve
Economy

Govt tightens belt to relieve reserve

6
Impact of falling taka against US dollar
Banking

Taka losing more value as global currency market volatility persists

The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2022 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab