The government is dispensing food assistance to around 2.51 lakh poor families to tackle financial need in all eight districts of Rajshahi division amid coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, reports BSS.
“2,515.65 tonnes of rice were allocated for the distribution as a part of the government’s instant humanitarian support to mitigate the economic hardship caused by coronavirus pandemic,” said Rajshahi divisional commissioner Humayun Kabir Khandaker.
He said 913.18 tonnes of rice were already distributed among the daily wage earners on Sunday and the rest are expected to be handed over within the next few days.
Each family in need is getting 10 kilograms of rice, he said. All the upazila administrations in close-coordination with the local government institutions are distributing the rice, said Humayun Kabir, adding Tk 50,000 has also been allocated for each of the upazilas for distribution.
Meanwhile, around 20,000 less-income families in Rajshahi city have started getting food assistance to overcome the tough situation. Each of the beneficiary households are getting 10 kilograms of rice and 500 grams of pulse at the initial stage, said AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Mayor of Rajshahi, adding the city corporation has received a stock of 100 tonnes of rice and 20 tonnes of pulse from the city’s affluent persons for distribution.
“We will seek more support from the affluent sections of people for the welfare of the distressed persons of society,” he added.
Apart from the private initiative, the corporation received 60 tonnes of rice from the government for distributing among 200 destitute people in each of the 30 wards.
Each destitute family is getting 1-kg of rice under the relief distribution programme, he said. Various other institutions, organizations and volunteers have started distributing foodstuffs among the wage earners everywhere in the region.
On the other hand, farmers of the division have attained satisfactory yields of all varieties of rice like aush and transplanted aman and other food grains like wheat and maize and vegetables including potatoes in the past one year, which keeps an immense contribution to ensure the community-level food security besides coping with any emergency situation.
Deb Dulal Dhali, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said the farmers produced around 20.14 lakh tones aman and 5.56 lakh tones of aush rice from 9.62 lakh hectares of land, 5.19 lakh tones of wheat from 1.46 lakh hectares of land, 4.57 lakh tonnes of maize from 49,482 hectares of land and 1.30 lakh tones of pulses from 94,979 hectares of land.
They have also produced around 35.81 lakh tones of potato from 1.56 lakh hectares of land and 19 lakh tones of other winter vegetables from 87,612 hectares of land. Besides, farmers have almost completed the process of seedlings transplantation of Irri-boro paddy in the current season amidst suitable climate conditions everywhere in Rajshahi division including its vast Barind tract.
DAE has set a target of producing around 34.30 lakh tonnes of Irri-boro rice from 8.08 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under the division this season.
Target has been set to produce 31.57 lakh tonnes of high yielding varieties of rice from 7.51 lakh hectares of land, 2.65 lakh tonnes of hybrid varieties of rice from 52,910 hectares and 7,729 tonnes of local varieties of rice from 3,840 hectares of land.
Agriculturist Dhali said steps have been taken to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation this season. The all farming fields here have taken greenery looks and the farmers are optimistic of good harvesting.
