A record stock of food grains has been achieved this year despite the deleterious impact of coronavirus on crops.
While the world is facing a severe challenge to its food security due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bangladesh has set a record in food grain production.
The country is now the third largest rice producer in the world, and even in the midst of the virus pandemic, there is no cause for concern over food security.
Secretary of the Food Ministry, Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum told the Bangladesh Post, "Last year we procured a huge quality of rice and paddy and we were tense about what to do with the vast procurement. But during the coronavirus, this has become a blessing for us".
"Based on our previous year’s procurement, we have sufficient stock of food grains. However, we wanted to procure more paddy and rice this year only to encourage our farmers so that they can get fair prices and cultivate more paddy in the coming days. What we have in our stock is satisfactory," she added.
According to government data, the greatest panic during the coronavirus period was with the production of Boro paddy. Overcoming all odds and fears, this time a record 2.02 crore tonnes of Boro paddy has been harvested. In the last two years, the production was 1.86 crore tonnes. Aman production has been 1.53 crore tonnes. Last year, it was 1.33 crore tonnes. Despite the loss of two lakh tonnes of paddy due to ongoing floods, the present Aus production is 34 lakh tones.
Rice production has increased in Bangladesh during the last decade. In 2009, the rice production was 313 lakh tonnes, and this has now increased to around 370 lakh tonnes.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in a report that the increase in the number of coronavirus infections and deaths has already put pressure on the food supply cycle. In order to prevent coronavirus infection, all kinds of communication with different countries have stopped. The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that such a situation could lead to a food crisis. The major food suppliers of the world may face problems in the days to come due to the suspension of import and export as respective countries will be concerned about their own food security systems.
In this regard, food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said, "Bangladesh is now a food surplus country. There is adequate food stock. Till Thursday last, there was a stock of 10,34000 tonnes of boiled rice in the government warehouses. There is 1.5 lakh tons of Atap (sun dried) rice, about 12 lakh tonnes of paddy and 1.23 lakh tonnes of wheat. Private rice mills have about 17 lakh tonnes of rice in stock".
"Farmers also stock paddy in the hope of getting higher prices. About 1.5 crore tonnes of paddy is expected to come from Aman in November this year", he added.
Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak said the government has adequate food stocks. Bangladesh has made a record production. Rice prices are rising in the international market. That is why the price of rice is rising in the country. But there is no cause for worrying. Middle-class families are in a little trouble. In the next couple of weeks, rice will be sold to 50 lakh families at Rs 10 per kg.