Agriculture minister: Govt to export 1 - 1.5 million ton rice

[Michael Corleone]

i mean it's expected... afterall godgiven, the most fertile lands on the planet.

 

[bluesky]

i mean it's expected... after all god given, the most fertile lands on the planet.

Contrary to what we love to believe, Bangladesh soil is not fertile. It has deficiencies in many organic substances requiring the infusion of inorganic fertilizer in all the crops.

- The average pH value of Bangladesh soils could be taken on the acidic side of the pH scale, between 5.5 and 6.5. This value is good.
- Organic matter (OM) status of Bangladesh soil is one of the lowest in the world. This is a major constraint to the agriculture of the country.
- Because of the low level of OM the nitrogen status of Bangladesh soils is substantially low requiring the use of nitrogen fertilisers. Urea is based on nitrogen.
- The available phosphorus in Bangladesh soils could be considered between low and medium. The source of P supply in soils is mainly inorganic fertilizers and to a limited extent organic manure.
- Bangladesh soils are deficient in potassium.
- About 70-80% of the soils are deficient in sulphur.
- The demand for zinc fertilizers has increased from 3 thousand metric tons in 2000-01 to 42 thousand metric tons in 2010-11, which indicates a widespread zinc deficiency in the soils of Bangladesh.

I hope the country's land does not get barren with the continuous use of inorganic/chemical fertilizers and three crops. Raise only two crops to extend the longevity of the land. Depend less on inorganic chemicals and more on organic cow manure and rotten paddy stalks (খ্যার). Keep the lands fallow for one season. Overturn the soil with a tractor in order to expose the soil bottom to sunrays. It will bring back the strength.

 

[Michael Corleone]

Contrary to what we love to believe, Bangladesh soil is not fertile. It has deficiencies in many organic substances requiring the infusion of inorganic fertilizer in all the crops.

- The average pH of Bangladesh soils could be taken on the acidic side of the pH scale, between 5.5 and 6.5. This value is good.
- Organic matter (OM) status of Bangladesh soil is one of the lowest in the world. This is a major constraint to the agriculture of the country.
- Because of the low level of OM the nitrogen status of Bangladesh soils is substantially low requiring the use of nitrogen fertilisers. Urea is based on nitrogen.
- The available phosphorus in Bangladesh soils could be considered between low and medium. The source of P supply in soils is mainly inorganic fertilizers and to a limited extent organic manure.
- Bangladesh soils are deficient in potassium.
- About 70-80% of the soils are deficient in sulphur.
- The demand for zinc fertilizers has been increased from 3 thousand metric tons in 2000-01 to 42 thousand metric tons in 2010-11, which indicates a widespread zinc deficiency in the soils of Bangladesh.

I hope the country's land does not get barren with the continuous use of inorganic/chemical fertilizers and three crops. Raise only two crops to extend the longevity of the land. Depend less on inorganic chemicals and more on organic cow manure and rotten paddy stalks (খ্যার). Keep the lands fallow for one season. Overturn the soil with a tractor in order to expose the soil bottom to sunrays. It will bring back the strength.

bro fertility doesn't necessarily guarranty enriched mineral contents for things to grow but ability to grow almost any kind of agricultural products...

oh btw wasn't bangladesh facing problems in the 2005s because they would over grow GMO products on a given piece of land? i remember farmers being trained on efficient use of farmland and it's recovery

 

[bluesky]

bro fertility doesn't necessarily guarranty enriched mineral contents for things to grow but ability to grow almost any kind of agricultural products...

oh btw wasn't bangladesh facing problems in the 2005s because they would over grow GMO products on a given piece of land? i remember farmers being trained on efficient use of farmland and it's recovery

Bold part: Yours is a unique definition of soil fertility. Perhaps you are comparing BD land with the desert land of Arabistan. However, I have seen how the leaves of spinach (পুঁই শাক) grow large in the Libyan desert without fertilizer but with only the input of water. The sizes are more than double what we see in BD. It means the deserts have a lot of organic matters comparing to BD soils except that water is scarce there.

BD soils are not fertile but are enriched with water. The deficiencies of the Organic Matters (OM) are covered by chemical fertilizers. But, the future may be bleak unless chemicals are almost substituted with organic cow dung, rotten straws, and the soils are kept overturned for at least one season.

While harvesting, the Japanese (Korean, Taiwanese) farmers cut down only the upper paddy sheaves and leave the 90% of straws in the soil overturned by only a single run of the tractor. The straws gradually rot to become organic fertilizer that lessens the uses of chemicals.

Like many other things, BD has to learn from other countries that have developed agriculture through a concerted effort of more than a century.

 

[VikingRaider]

Bold part: Yours is a unique definition of soil fertility. Perhaps you are comparing BD land with the desert land of Arabistan. However, I have seen how the leaves of spinach (পুঁই শাক) grow large in the Libyan desert without fertilizer but with only water. It is more than double what we see in BD. It means the deserts have a lot of organic matters comparing to BD soils except that water is scarce there.

BD soils are not fertile but are enriched with water. The deficiencies of the Organic Matters (OM) are covered by chemical fertilizers. But, the future may be bleak unless chemicals are almost substituted with organic cow dung, rotten straws, and the soils are kept overturned for at least one season.

While harvesting, the Japanese (Korean, Taiwanese) farmers cut down only the upper paddy sheaves and leave the 90% of straws in the soil overturned by only a single run of the tractor. The straws gradually rot to become organic fertilizer that lessens the uses of chemicals.

Like many other things, BD has to learn from other countries that have developed agriculture through a concerted effort of more than a century.

Which areas soil has more organic matter bro? I mean organic matter And also sufficient water supply, do you know that? I am interested to know about various soil with that is naturally fertile, but I found no clear information when search Google. If you know please provide some information.

 

[bluesky]

Which areas soil has more organic matter bro? I mean organic matter And also sufficient water supply, do you know that? I am interested to know about various soil with that is naturally fertile, but I found no clear information when search Google. If you know please provide some information.

Natural fertile soil may be very rare nowadays because of its overuse through centuries of intensive cultivation. It is more so now because of the need to produce more to feed a growing number of the population throughout the world. It seems Europe uses less amount of chemicals than even Japan although the latter always try to return the organic matters by rotting the straws.

The US soil may be fertile but even they use a low quantity of fertilizer. However, please read the excerpt below to know about the bad effects of overuse of chemicals. It almost poisons the food. I was talking about the claim that BD soil is most fertile which I found is not true.

"One of the main differences between soil exposed to chronic use of chemical fertilizers and natural soil is the amount of microorganisms. Previously on farmland, organic matter such as fallen leaves and manure from animals was decomposed into non-organic matter by microorganisms in the soil, and using these natural fertilizers, agricultural produce could be grown".

"However, chemical fertilizers do not decompose, and are directly absorbed by plants—and without the food provided by organic matter, microorganisms die off. According to Kubo's research, ---------- in the farmlands where the number of microorganisms is close to zero, ---------, plant pathogens and pests breed easily, resulting in a vicious cycle in which more and more pesticide is needed".

1) So, limit the growth of the population
2) Limit crops to two seasons only
3) Use more organic matters in the straws/leaves that BD people mostly use for cooking. Re-use the rice/wheat straws by rotting them in the wet soil
4) Raise cattle farming and use more decomposed dung and fewer chemicals

By the way, I felt a bitter taste of BD vegetables when I am there. You are so accustomed because you do not taste foods in other countries. Bitter, is it because of the application of chemicals?

 

[VikingRaider]

Natural fertile soil may be very rare nowadays because of its overuse through centuries of intensive cultivation. It is more so now because of the need to produce more to feed a growing number of the population throughout the world. It seems Europe uses less amount of chemicals than even Japan although the latter always try to return the organic matters by rotting the straws.

The US soil may be fertile but even they use a low quantity of fertilizer. However, please read the excerpt below to know about the bad effects of overuse of chemicals. It almost poisons the food. I was talking about the claim that BD soil is most fertile which I found is not true.

"One of the main differences between soil exposed to chronic use of chemical fertilizers and natural soil is the amount of microorganisms. Previously on farmland, organic matter such as fallen leaves and manure from animals was decomposed into non-organic matter by microorganisms in the soil, and using these natural fertilizers, agricultural produce could be grown".

"However, chemical fertilizers do not decompose, and are directly absorbed by plants—and without the food provided by organic matter, microorganisms die off. According to Kubo's research, ---------- in the farmlands where the number of microorganisms is close to zero, ---------, plant pathogens and pests breed easily, resulting in a vicious cycle in which more and more pesticide is needed".

1) So, limit the growth of the population
2) Limit crops to two seasons only
3) Use more organic matters in the straws/leaves that BD people mostly use for cooking. Re-use the rice/wheat straws by rotting them in the wet soil
4) Raise cattle farming and use more decomposed dung and fewer chemicals

By the way, I felt a bitter taste of BD vegetables when I am there. You are so accustomed because you do not taste foods in other countries. Bitter, is it because of the application of chemicals?

Thanks brother for this informative post.

 

[Nilgiri]

By the way, I felt a bitter taste of BD vegetables when I am there. You are so accustomed because you do not taste foods in other countries. Bitter, is it because of the application of chemicals?

It may also be because the strains (of veg/fruit) are cross-bred (and even GMO) to taste "better" in some way in lot of wealthier countries...whereas in developing countries there is lot more original "heirloom" kind of veggies and fruits.

I often like bit more bitter more natural taste in veggies I find only in some parts of TN (at least back then)...and find their equivalents (much bigger, juicier, but more monotone) not so good in western world (and far less choice and variety), it depends though.

 

[Doctor Strange]

What Bluesky said can be found in the video above (10:40). BD soil isnt of very high quality because of excessive use. Its the abundance of water and tropical environment plays a role. People in desert also can grow agri foods in abundance if the environment and water supply can be ensured.

 

[bluesky]

@Atlas, I think the Egyptian soil near and alongside the Nile river is the most fertile land. Its soil is sandy with many chemicals included and is supported by the Nile water. Egypt was regarded as the food basket for the Mediterranian belt surrounded by the countries of western & southern Europe, west Asia, and northern Africa. It has been producing a very large quantity of crops since the unknown ancient times. Because of the availability of food there, powers like the Roman Empire or later the Turkic Empire wanted this land to be included in their folds.

Bengal was also the same in old time but it was supported by vast land enriched by water and solar heat. Even today, the farmland is very vast but the yield remains low. However, the number of population was quite low here then, agriculture land was vast and there was a surplus of food. This caused Delhi to send expeditions to annex Bengal to its Empire, especially during the Muslim period that started in 1190 AD in north India.

 

[bluesky]

https://www.thedailystar.net/bangla/শীর্ষ-খবর/কৃষকের-অভিমান-বাড়ছে-112630

১০:৪৪ পূর্বাহ্ন, জুন ০৬, ২০১৯ / সর্বশেষ সংশোধিত: ০১:০৯ অপরাহ্ন, জুন ০৬, ২০১৯
কৃষকের অভিমান বাড়ছে!

ছবি: স্টার ফাইল ফটো

মোস্তফা সবুজ

ঈদের দিনটি কেটে গেলো। কিন্তু, বাংলাদেশ কৃষকের ঘরে ঘরে এবার সেই ঈদ-আনন্দ ছিলো না। এ বছর কৃষক যে মূল্যে ধান উদপাদন করেছেন তার থেকে অনেক কম মূল্যে তাদের ধান বিক্রি করতে হয়েছে। ফলে বিঘা প্রতি তাদের ৩,০০০ থেকে ৩,৫০০ টাকা লোকসান গুনতে হচ্ছে।

একজন সংবাদকর্মী হিসেবে যখন বিভিন্ন এলাকায় গিয়েছি, কৃষকদের সঙ্গে কথা বলেছি তখন তারা অভিমানের সঙ্গে জানিয়েছেন যে তারা আর ধান চাষ করবেন না, অন্য ফসল চাষ করবেন কিংবা চাষাবাদই ছেড়ে দিবেন অথবা কল-কারখানায় কুলি-মজুরের কাজ করবেন, তবুও ধান চাষ করবেন না। কারণ, একজন দিনমজুরের দাম ৫০০ থেকে ৬৫০ টাকা, অথচ এক মন ধানের দাম তার চেয়ে কম।

এখন কথা হলো সত্যিই যদি আমাদের কৃষকরা অভিমান করেন, তবে আমাদের খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা কি আর এখনকার মতো থাকবে? আসুন দেখা যাক উত্তরাঞ্চলের কিছু জেলার কৃষকের অবস্থা।

কৃষি সম্প্রসারণ অধিদপ্তর ইঙ্গিত দিয়েছেন যে বিগত বেশ কয়েক বছর ধরে উত্তরাঞ্চলের কৃষকরা ধান চাষের প্রতি আগ্রহ হারিয়ে ফেলছেন এবং অন্যান্য ফসল, যেগুলো চাষে কম পরিশ্রম ও খরচ কম হয় কিন্তু দাম ভালো পাওয়া যায়, সেগুলোর দিকে ঝুকে পড়ছেন।

নওগাঁ জেলার ধান চাষীরা ধানের পরিবর্তে আম চাষে ঝুকে পড়েছেন! বগুড়ার কৃষকরা ধানের পরিবর্তে অগ্রিম শাক-সবজি, আলু, কিংবা ভুট্টা চাষ বাড়িয়ে দিয়েছেন।

নওগাঁর কৃষি-সম্প্রসারণ অধিদপ্তরের ভারপ্রাপ্ত উপ-পরিচালক মাসুদুর রহমান জানিয়েছেন যে গত ১০ বছরে জেলায় ১৮,৬০০ হেক্টর ধানের জমি আম বাগানে পরিণত হয়েছে। ১০ বছর আগে গোটা জেলায় আমের বাগান ছিলো মাত্র ১,৫০০ হেক্টরের কম। যে হারে জেলায় আমের বাগান বাড়ছে তাতে আগামী ৫ বছরে ধানের জমির পরিমাণ তিনগুণ কমে আমের বাগানে পরিণত হতে পারে। কারণ হিসেবে তিনি জানিয়েছেন যে ধান চাষে পানি বেশি লাগে, পরিশ্রম বেশি, ঝুঁকি বেশি কিন্তু লাভ কম। অন্যদিকে আম চাষে পরিশ্রম কম এবং লাভ বেশি। তাছাড়া বরেন্দ্রভূমিতে পানির সংকট তো আগে থেকেই ছিলো, যা কৃষকদের আম চাষের প্রতি আগ্রহী করে তুলছে।

বরেন্দ্র অঞ্চলে পানির সংকট চিরদিনের তবুও কৃষকরা এতোদিন ধান চাষ করে আসছিলেন। ধান চাষে লাভ না হওয়ায় এই অঞ্চলের কৃষকরা আম চাষ শুরু করেছেন। গত এপ্রিলে নওগাঁর কয়েকটি উপজেলা সরেজমিনে ঘুরে দেখা গেছে শত শত শিক্ষিত তরুণ এখন আম চাষের দিকে ঝুকে পড়েছেন।

কৃষি-সম্প্রসারণের তথ্য মতে, বগুড়া জেলায় গত ৮-১০ বছরে ধানী জমির পরিমাণ কমেছে প্রায় ১২ হাজার হেক্টর। আগে এসব জমিতে ধান হতো এখন ভালো দামের আশায় কৃষক বিভিন্ন ধরনের শাক-সবজি (বিশেষ করে অগ্রিম) এবং উচ্চমূল্যের ফল-ফসল আবাদ করছেন।

অন্যদিকে এবার বগুড়ায় বোরো ধানের চাষ হয়েছে ১ লাখ ৮৮ হাজার হেক্টর জমিতে এবং ফলন হয়েছে ৭.৭৮ লাখ মেট্রিক টন। গত বছর জেলায় বোরো ধানের চাষ হয়েছিল ১ লাখ ৭৫ হাজার হেক্টর জমিতে এবং ফলন হয়েছিলো ৭ লাখ ৭৬ হাজার মেট্রিক টন। তার মানে হলো এবার ১৩ হাজার হেক্টর বেশি জমিতে ধান চাষ হলেও ফলন বাড়েনি এবং গতবারের তুলনায় কমেছে।

বাংলাদেশে বছরে চালের চাহিদা হলো সাড়ে ৩ কোটি টনের কিছু কমবেশি এবং গত অর্থবছরে আমাদের চালের উদপাদন ছিলো প্রায় ৩ কোটি ৮৬ লাখ টন। বর্তমানে দেশে প্রায় ৪০ লাখ টন চালের উদ্বৃত্ত উদপাদন হয়। (তথ্যসুত্র– বাংলাদেশ অটো মেজর এন্ড হাসকিং মিল ওনার্স এসোসিয়েশন)।

অন্যদিকে বাংলাদেশ ধান গবেষণা ইনস্টিটিউট-এর তথ্য মতে, ২০৫০ সালে বাংলাদেশের জনসংখ্যা বেড়ে দাঁড়াবে সাড়ে ২১ কোটি এবং চালের চাহিদা বেড়ে দাঁড়াবে ৪ কোটি ৪৬ লাখ মেট্রিক টন। দেশের ধানের ফলন বর্তমানের মতো অব্যাহত থাকলে ২০৫০ সালে বছরে উদপাদন হবে প্রায় ৪ কোটি ৮০ লাখ টনের কিছু বেশি।

কিন্তু এখন কথা হলো, কৃষকরা যদি তাদের ধানের নায্য মূল্য থেকে বঞ্চিত হন এবং যৌক্তিক কারণে নওগাঁ এবং উত্তরাঞ্চলের অনন্য জেলার চাষিদের মতো ধান চাষ ছেড়ে দিয়ে অন্যান্য ফসল চাষ করতে শুরু করেন এবং ফলন বছর বছর না বেড়ে বগুড়ার মতো কমতে থাকে, তবে ২০৫০ সালে সাড়ে ২১ কোটি জনসংখ্যার জন্য যে পরিমাণ চাল লাগবে তা দেশে উদপাদন করা কোনো ক্রমেই সম্ভব হবে না, যদি না কৃষি প্রযুক্তিতে অভাবনীয় কিছু উন্নতি না হয়। তারপর, আবার প্রত্যেক বছর বাংলাদেশের কৃষকদের বড় বড় সব প্রাকৃতিক দুর্যোগ মোকাবেলা করতে হয়। বড় ধরনের যে কোনো প্রাকৃতিক দুর্যোগ আমাদের এই হিসাব-নিকাশকেই উল্টিয়ে দিতে পারে।

তার মানে হলো, ২০৫০ সালের আগেই হয়ত আমাদের আবার দেশের বাইরে থেকে বড় অংকের চাল আমদানি করতে হবে। কিন্তু, দেশে সরকার যে দরে কৃষকদের কাছ থেকে ধান কিনতে পারে, বিদেশ থেকে তার চেয়ে প্রায় দ্বিগুণ দরে চাল আমদানি করতে হয়। তবে দেশের কৃষকদের ধানের নায্য মূল্য নিশ্চিত করতে পারলে হয়ত বাংলাদেশের ‘খাদ্যে স্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণ’ সুনামটা ধরে রাখতে পারবে এবং খাদ্য নিরাপত্তা নিয়েও আশঙ্কা বা আতঙ্ক তৈরি হবে না।

তাই পরিশেষে বলা যায়, যে কৃষকের পরিশ্রমের ওপর নির্ভর করে দেশ খাদ্য স্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণ হলো তাদের প্রতি উদাসীনতা দেখালে তো আর সেই স্ট্যাটাসটি থাকবে না।

Farmers' annoyance is increasing

Eid day has passed. However, this was not the Eid-joy of the house of the farmer of Bangladesh. This year, farmers have to sell their rice at a much lower price than the rice they have produced. As a result, their losses vary from 3,000 to 3,500 rupees per bigha.

As a news worker, I went to different areas, talked to the farmers, when they spoke with pride that they would not cultivate paddy, cultivate other crops or leave farming, or do the work of cool-work in the mill, but do not cultivate paddy. Because, a day laborer is worth 500 to 650 rupees, whereas one mind rice is less than that.

Now it is true that if our farmers are proud, then what will our food security be like now? Let us see the condition of the farmers in some northern districts.

The Department of Agricultural Extension has indicated that over the past several years the northern peasants have lost interest in rice cultivation and are falling in front of other crops, which are less laboring and less costly in cultivation but the prices are better.

Rice farmers of Naogaon district have lost their crops instead of rice! Farmers of Bogra increased the vegetables, potatoes, or maize in advance instead of rice.

Acting Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension Department of Naogaon Masudur Rahman said that in the last 10 years, 18,600 hectares of rice land in the district have become mangroves. 10 years ago, the entire gardener in the whole district had only less than 1,500 hectares. The rate at which the mango garden is growing in the district, in the next 5 years, the quantity of paddy land can be thrown three times in the yard garden. Because he said that rice cultivation takes longer, hard work, more risk, high risk but less profit On the other hand, mango cultivation has less work and more profit. Moreover, the water crisis in the Barind Tract was already there, which made the farmers interested in mango cultivation.

Despite the water crisis in Barind region, the farmers were cultivating paddy so far. Since the cultivation of paddy is not available, the farmers of the region started mango cultivation. In April, in the upazila of Naogaon, hundreds of educated youth have now turned to mangoes.

According to agricultural extension, in the last 8-10 years, the amount of paddy land has decreased in Bogra district, about 12 thousand hectares. Before these crops were paddy, now farmers are cultivating different kinds of vegetables (especially in advance) and high-value crops due to good prices.

On the other hand, Boro paddy cultivation in Bogra has been cultivated on 1 lakh 88 thousand hectares of land and yielded 7.78 lakh metric tons. Boro paddy was cultivated in the district in the last year, in a total of 1,75,000 hectares of land and 7 lakh 76 thousand metric tons of yield. It means that the cultivation of paddy in more than 13 thousand hectares of land has not increased yield and decreased compared to last time.

The demand for rice in Bangladesh is somewhat more than 330 million tonnes and in the last fiscal year our rice production was about 386.8 million tonnes. Currently, surplus surpluses of about 4 million tonnes of rice are produced in the country. (Information - Bangladesh Auto Major and Hasking Mill Owners Association).

On the other hand, according to the data of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, the population of Bangladesh will rise to 21.5 million in 2050 and the demand for rice will increase to 4 crore 46 lakh metric tons. If the yield of rice in the country continues to be current, in 2050, there will be some more than 4.88 million tonnes of annual production.

But now it is said that if farmers are deprived of the price of their rice and for logical reasons, they started cultivating other crops except rice cultivation like Naogaon and the unique districts of the northern region and the yield did not increase year after year, but in the year 2150 The amount of rice required for the million population will not be possible in any country, unless there is some improvement in agricultural technology Is the. Then again, every year Bangladesh's peasants have to face big natural disasters. Any kind of major natural disaster can reverse this accounting.

That means, before 2050, we may have to import large quantities of rice from outside the country. However, the government can buy rice from the farmers at the rate at which the country can import rice, more than twice the amount of rice from abroad. But if the farmers of the country can ensure the price of rice, it may be able to retain the 'self-sufficiency of food' in Bangladesh and there will be no fear or panic on food security.

So, finally, that depending on the hard work of the farmer, if the country is self-sufficient in the food, then they will not be in the condition of showing indifference.

অন্যদিকে বাংলাদেশ ধান গবেষণা ইনস্টিটিউট-এর তথ্য মতে, ২০৫০ সালে বাংলাদেশের জনসংখ্যা বেড়ে দাঁড়াবে সাড়ে ২১ কোটি এবং চালের চাহিদা বেড়ে দাঁড়াবে ৪ কোটি ৪৬ লাখ মেট্রিক টন।

Where is @UKBengali? Your dream of a population at 200 million will soon materialize. Cheers!! The enlarged population will certainly make BD a very strong nation on Earth.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Contrary to what we love to believe, Bangladesh soil is not fertile. It has deficiencies in many organic substances requiring the infusion of inorganic fertilizer in all the crops.

- The average pH value of Bangladesh soils could be taken on the acidic side of the pH scale, between 5.5 and 6.5. This value is good.
- Organic matter (OM) status of Bangladesh soil is one of the lowest in the world. This is a major constraint to the agriculture of the country.
- Because of the low level of OM the nitrogen status of Bangladesh soils is substantially low requiring the use of nitrogen fertilisers. Urea is based on nitrogen.
- The available phosphorus in Bangladesh soils could be considered between low and medium. The source of P supply in soils is mainly inorganic fertilizers and to a limited extent organic manure.
- Bangladesh soils are deficient in potassium.
- About 70-80% of the soils are deficient in sulphur.
- The demand for zinc fertilizers has increased from 3 thousand metric tons in 2000-01 to 42 thousand metric tons in 2010-11, which indicates a widespread zinc deficiency in the soils of Bangladesh.

I hope the country's land does not get barren with the continuous use of inorganic/chemical fertilizers and three crops. Raise only two crops to extend the longevity of the land. Depend less on inorganic chemicals and more on organic cow manure and rotten paddy stalks (খ্যার). Keep the lands fallow for one season. Overturn the soil with a tractor in order to expose the soil bottom to sunrays. It will bring back the strength.

The type of fertile soil you are asking do not exist anywhere in the world which is being long cultivated. Only uncultivated, virgin soil can be sufficiently rich in all those micro-nutrients you are saying lacking in Bangladeshi soil. Bangladeshi soil is being intensively cultivated for thousands of years. After so many years, you can not expect it to contain all micro-nutrient to exist in sufficient quantities. This is the case with all other agriculturally productive land in the world. Even if we get any such piece of land which is rich in all these micro-nutrients, after cultivating some years, it will became deficient of these elements. So what you are asking from Bangladeshi soil is unrealistic. This is not the type of fertility we are talking about.

Bangladeshi land is very fertile because with some fertilizer input, you can churn out crops 3 times a year, which is quite rare in the world. It's land is formed by alluvial river silt. Bangladesh's land is well watered due to sufficient rainfall and numerous water body criss-crossing it's landscape , it climate is mild. There are many land in the world which is fertile but can not be cultivated or can be cultivate only once in year or once in a several years because there is no water, erratic and insufficient rainfall, extreme climate, steep, mountainous land etc. For Bangladesh, none of these constrains exist. that's why it become one of the best agriculturally productive land in the world. Just because it lack some micro-nutrients(which is normal for any intensively cultivated land), you can not brand it infertile.

 

[Viet]

BD agriculture yield is very low compared to those of Japan, South Korea or Taiwan. Its acreage is much high, so the product total is also high. BD is 85% flat with 77,642 sq.km. of farmland. To know about the yield with Japan, please read the excerpt below:

"The most striking feature of Japanese agriculture is the shortage of farmland. The 49,000 sq.km under cultivation constituted just 13.2% of the total land area in 1988. However, the land is intensively cultivated".

This 13.2% of arable land consisting of only 49,000 sq.km. that feeds 126 million people here. In comparison, (77,640 x 2 seasons) = 150,000 sq.km. feeds 160 million people in BD. Note that the cold climate there causes only one paddy season in Japan. Whereas, a sunny country BD has two paddy seasons.

It means BD paddyland is essentially 150,000 sq.km. and Japan's only 49,000 sq.km. Yield in South Korea and Taiwan is also very high after Japan introduced its agriculture seed and technology there in the around early 1900s.

Without a good variety of seeds and home-made agricultural machines, we have a long way to go to achieve parity with these highly developed countries.

Japan, Korea rely on food imports. Their food self sufficiency is 40 and 47 percentage.

 

[Viet]

@jetray, in the picture below people are doing manual during harvest. So, mechanization is needed to lower the cost of products. Instead of manual, a mode of motorized transport is needed. Mechanization must continue. The unemployment created in the farms is more than compensated in the factories and construction. Total production goes up, people's earnings as well.

Modern civilization is based on the mechanized production of everything. This is how a country's economy grows. The alternative method is to reduce the population. But, it is not possible.

Yes mechanization is the key to increase yields and farmers incomes. There are still manual labor but in large parts of Vietnam rice planting and harvesting are fully mechanized. We need less people, our rice yields are twice of Thailand.

 

[mb444]

I wonder where this minister wants to sell the surplus? As far as I know, all the countries of the world are self-sufficient in staple food. Some countries in Africa are in distress because of terrorism and rice is not popular there. Yemenis might love rice but it must go through UN Missions. Indirect or direct BD export there will only create ire of SA. So, which countries are the market for rice?

Usually, the govt collects the surplus rice in the season to be sold off-season. But, watching what people are talking, the bonafide GoB will first construct many warehouses before it can buy and stockpile. So, I do not really understand this export process.

How about asking organizations like UNCHR to buy the surplus rice from BD govt and distribute among the Rohingyas?

What are you talking about? BD will put its rice on international market and anyone who wants can buy it. There are many countries who produce rice for export like thailand. BD is one of the largest producers of rice but due to internal demand we do not export a lot. There is a ready made BD diaspora who will buy BD rice accross mideast, europe and US at a premium. Are you seriously suggesting BD should not sell because it might make other nations in SA unhappy!!!

BD is selling after we have stockpiled our reserves to the max.

Of all economic sector this is the most critical. GOB should ensure and guarantee farmers income every year. They are the literal lifeblood of BD, everything else we can do without.