PM emphasizes on flood tolerant rice for food security

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today emphasized on expanding the cultivation of flood tolerant rice with a view to attaining sustainable food security by increasing rice production despite the climate change impacts.

Replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench member Bazlul Huq Harun during her question-answer session in the House, she said the government has initiated research to innovate varieties of rice that could withstand continuous three weeks of complete submergence.

Each year, millions of small farmers in the southern part of the country lose their entire crops to flooding. Now the government is distributing paddy seeds that could tolerate two weeks of submergence, she said.

Replying to the main question raised by Bazlul Huq Harun, the Prime Minister said as much as 3.47 crore tonnes of rice were produced in 2-14-2015 fiscal year, equal to nearly 5 crore tonnes of paddy.

Keeping in view a sustainable growth in the overall economy, she said, the present agriculture-friendly government has undertaken various pragmatic measures to carry forward the vast contribution of the agriculture sector in the annual GDP.

The government has, meanwhile, prepared a written list of necessary steps to be undertaken to face natural calamities, she said adding, now we can rapidly move to tackling any devastating situation by following this record.

Bangladesh is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate change and natural disasters like flood, drought, cyclone and sea-level rise. The government is ready to face any disaster and sufficient shelter centers have been raised in southern Bangladesh called 'Mujib Kella' with all available facilities, the Prime Minister said.

She said, power plant had established at the Southern part of the country. Navy and army brigade will establish there and the Mongla port will be modernized as deep-sea port.

Source: BSS.