Reluctance in cultivating paddy a threat to food security
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Wednesday
February 08, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023
Reluctance in cultivating paddy a threat to food security

Thoughts

Md Sharif Hasan
19 January, 2020, 08:50 am
Last modified: 19 January, 2020, 11:03 am

Related News

  • Bangladesh needs to improve the image of its food quality
  • Developed countries should be more proactive to ensure food security: Agri minister
  • Brahmanbaria paddy hub sees downturn in peak season
  • Food for plastic: A unique move to rid St Martin’s of plastic pollution
  • Govt seeks to import 50,000 tonnes of rice

Reluctance in cultivating paddy a threat to food security

Last few year’s abnormal fall of paddy price and increasing production costs have raised concerns among farmers

Md Sharif Hasan
19 January, 2020, 08:50 am
Last modified: 19 January, 2020, 11:03 am
Representational picture File Photo: Rehman Asad/TBS
Representational picture File Photo: Rehman Asad/TBS

The average demand for rice has dropped slightly because of reasons such as urbanisation and an emphasis on alternative food by well-to-do people.

However, the population has exceeded 17 crore and growing. Rice is still the main source of a large part of the people's calorie demand.

Our country is too small in proportion to the population, and land suitable for cultivating paddy is gradually declining for reasons including housing and industrialization.

On the other hand, the amount of farmland has also been reduced due to the cultivation of non-crop fruits, flowers or pisciculture.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic (BBS), the amount of cultivable land in 1980 was 2.10 lakh acres, which has been reduced to 1.80 lakh acres in 2007.

Certainly it is much less now, but all the previous governments and the incumbent one have given importance to agricultural production in Bangladesh. Agricultural scientists and expansion workers have tried their best.

Above all, the farmers of Bangladesh tackled the situation with their extreme toil and have made the impossible possible with advance technology and agricultural material on that little amount of land.

Today, the country with long food shortage is producing a little surplus in the production of major cereal rice. However, the situation cannot be termed as sustainable. Our farming system is largely nature dependent.

Sometimes Bangladesh becomes a country of deficit due to the effects of hostile nature.

Everyone connected with the government knows how hard it is to confront that deficit. Last few year's abnormal fall of paddy price and increasing production costs have raised concerns among farmers.

To tackle the situation, some rice export has been allowed, yet there are no positive changes in the situation. The fallen price of paddy is always far below the cost of cultivation. Whereas most farmers own small land or are shared farmers, with some exception. Even a season's loss leaves them in debt.

Under the circumstances, farmers are naturally becoming reluctant to cultivate paddy. In several districts of the northern part, also known as grain-stock of the country, the paddy land is gradually turning into mango garden.

A large amount of land is being used to cultivate fisheries and vegetables. All of these are necessary, but they cannot be an alternative to paddy cultivation. The rate at which land is decreasing, there is little chance of increasing the production capacity of paddy at the same rate.

The high dependence on rice will not drop suddenly.

Accordingly, to a recent report by an English daily, many shared farmers are waiting for a chance to change their profession, and some already did. The price for public purchase of rice-paddy is Tk26 to Tk36.

Only a few people get the opportunity to sell paddy at these government purchasing centres. Our rice production is 3.62 lakh tonnes. This is less than 2 crore at the Boro season alone. However, the capacity of government warehouses with silos is 21 lakh tonnes.

The silos are also used to store wheat. The government has a plan to increase this capacity to 30 lakh tones by 2025.

It is true that the picture of the country's financial competence comes to the fore with gross domestic product (GDP). However, along with that we also see that employment is not increasing in the same rhythm.

As a result, there is increasing financial inequality in the society. According to the BBS statistics, the contribution of agriculture to the country's GDP is now 14.10 per cent. According to a report of the same agency, 45 per cent of the labour force is engaged in this sector.

Therefore, irrespective of the contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP, in terms of considering food security and employment, it wouldn't be an exaggeration if we term it as the most important sector in the country.

Maybe the service sector is at the top, contributing 52.85 per cent to GDP. This is a good side of the economy. But, the role of agriculture in the expansion of the service sector is also huge. In the larger definition, fisheries, livestock and forestry all are under agriculture.

The demand for rice per capita will gradually decrease due to dietary changes. But the population growth rate is higher than the decreasing rate. The consumption of rice as food will gradually decrease if the rate stabilizes and we achieve the better living condition of developed countries.

In those days, the amount of cultivable land will also decrease. We cannot take improved technology and production more than a certain level. Therefore, we need to take different measures to make rice cultivation attractive.

Agricultural commodities are considered essential in all countries. Even hardline capitalist countries such as the United States are giving away a variety of incentives to the producers to ensure availability.

As a result, even in a country of people with such higher income, the price of bread, rice, vegetables, milk, dairy products, chicken and eggs is much the same compared to our country.

We are also getting rice in a much cheaper price, but by breaking the farmers' spine. The middlemen are playing a major negative role here. They are not involved with the rice production system, but they now have control over the farmers.

Besides, the kind of incentive the government is giving to farmers seems insufficient over time. The government doesn't have the opportunity to buy all the paddy.

So it is worth considering giving them a cash subsidy to make up their shortfall. In the current administrative system, local administration can work alongside with union councils and agricultural extension workers.

Md Sharif Hasan is a faculty at the Department of International Relations, University of Rajshahi.

Top News

Paddy / food security

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

  • Photo: TBS
    Dhirasram ICD financiers finalised, construction to begin in 2024
  • Photo: Rajib Dhar
    Girls fare better in this year's HSC exams; over 9% drop in pass rate
  • A woman stands near a collapsed building after an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
    Bangladesh announces state mourning for Turkey, Syria earthquake

MOST VIEWED

  • Kamrul Faisal, doctoral researcher at University of Helsinki. Illustration: TBS
    Bangladesh's cognitive dissonance in its data privacy commitment
  • Sketch: TBS
    How should you talk to ChatGPT? A user's guide
  • Photo: Collected
    Pakistan’s apology might help improve its relationship with Bangladesh
  • Sketch: TBS
    Time for the developed world to rein in the debt crisis
  • Illustration: TBS
    The supply chain crisis opens door to resilience
  • Illustration: TBS
    Preparing for the future of AI in the job market: How Bangladesh can thrive in a tech-driven world

Related News

  • Bangladesh needs to improve the image of its food quality
  • Developed countries should be more proactive to ensure food security: Agri minister
  • Brahmanbaria paddy hub sees downturn in peak season
  • Food for plastic: A unique move to rid St Martin’s of plastic pollution
  • Govt seeks to import 50,000 tonnes of rice

Features

Illustration: TBS

Planning to study abroad? Explore these four underrated scholarships

7h | Pursuit
Representational image. Photo: Collected.

The understated perks of journaling

6h | Pursuit
Photo: Reuters

A tragedy that will also shake up the region's geopolitics

20h | Panorama
Nimah designed by Compass Architects- Wooden tiles. Photo: Junaid Hasan Pranto

Trendy flooring designs to upgrade any space

1d | Habitat

More Videos from TBS

Unknown facts about Sid-Kiara wedding

Unknown facts about Sid-Kiara wedding

52m | TBS Entertainment
Rescuers dig through rubble as death toll passes 9,000

Rescuers dig through rubble as death toll passes 9,000

52m | TBS World
30% companies see double-digit growth even in hard times

30% companies see double-digit growth even in hard times

22h | TBS Insight
Challenging time waiting for RMG

Challenging time waiting for RMG

1d | TBS Round Table

Most Read

1
Photo: Courtesy
Panorama

From 'Made in Bangladesh' to 'Designed in Bangladesh'

2
Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making
Districts

Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making

3
Photo: Collected
Crime

Prime Distribution MD Mamun arrested in fraud case

4
Leepu realised his love for cars from a young age and for the last 40 years, he has transformed, designed and customised hundreds of cars. Photo: Collected
Panorama

'I am not crazy about cars anymore': Nizamuddin Awlia Leepu

5
Photo: Collected
Startups

ShopUp secures $30m debt financing to boost expansion, supply chain

6
ICB to withdraw Padma Bank investment as return eludes
Banking

ICB to withdraw Padma Bank investment as return eludes

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

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

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]