Record tea production amping up agro-economy

Crop protection chemical vendors in Bangladesh are struggling to obtain letters of credit (LC) due to a shortage of US dollars in banks. This shortage raises concerns about a potential scarcity of pesticides and other similar inputs, which could have an adverse effect on crop productivity. The boro paddy is the biggest rice crop in Bangladesh and generates 55% of the total rice production.

In Lalmohan upazila of Bhola, 3,000 small and marginal farmers have been provided with free seeds and fertilizers to encourage the cultivation of high-yielding Aush paddy in the current Kharif season. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) distributed incentives among the farmers to increase their interest in Aush paddy cultivation.

Pabna is responsible for around 30% of the country's onion production. However, this year's unfavorable weather conditions have severely affected onion production in Pabna, leading to a decline in yield and lower market prices. Farmers are struggling to cover the cost of production, and even the largest onion producers fear they won't recover their expenses. While some farmers have started cultivating new onions, they hope for a market price increase to receive a fair return for their hard work.

The first tea auction for the 2023-24 season will commence on April 17th at the Chattogram Tea Auction Center, followed by a second auction on April 26th at Sreemangal, according to a press release from the Tea Sales Co-ordination Committee meeting chaired by Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Major General Ashraful Islam. The auction year will include 46 tea auctions in Chattogram and 23 in Sreemangal.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) has given the go-ahead for two proposals to acquire 70,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers and 33.60 lakh MMBtu of LNG to address the rising demand. Led by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, the committee convened virtually for its 11th meeting this year, where a total of seven proposals were approved. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) will purchase 40,000 metric tonnes of DAP fertilizer from OCP, SA, Morocco, amounting to about Tk 262.13 crore, as per the Ministry of Agriculture's proposal.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has provided free seeds and fertilisers to 5,900 small and marginal farmers in Gopalganj Sadar upazila as an incentive to cultivate Aush paddy and jute during the current Kharif-1 season. The aim is to increase the farmers' interest in cultivating Aush paddy and jute. The DAE has increased the amount of incentive support and the number of farmers involved significantly in the district in the current financial year 2022-23.