Boro rice production will hit a new record of 2.20 crore metric tonnes this year, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque has said.

Razzaque, who is also the ruling Awami League presidium member, disclosed it at a press briefing on Boro paddy production at the Agriculture ministry's conference room at the Secretariat in the capital on Sunday afternoon.

Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter, senior officials of the ministry concerned and heads of the relevant government departments were present.

The Agriculture Minister said this year the Boro paddy production on 49.76 lakh hectres of agricultural land was targeted. However, the Boro paddy was yielded on some 50 lakh hectres of land. The Boro rice production target was 2.15 crore metric tonnes this year. "The condition of paddy in the field is good. Besides, paddy at the haors has been harvested properly. We hope that more than 10 lakh metric tonnes of rice beyond the target will be produced this year."

Abdur Razzaque said it has been possible to harvest the paddy at the Haor swiftly owing to the use of machines. Paddy harvest is now going on in seven Haor districts with 3,800 combined harvesters and 670 reapers.

"We have provided combined harvesters to farmers in Haor districts at 70 per cent subsidized rate to harvest the matured paddy. Labour wage is now higher and there is a shortage of labour. Paddy can be harvested swiftly because of the use of machines. Besides, the cost of paddy harvest has gone down substantially. "Farmers are getting benefits if we take all the things into consideration," he said.

Regarding the government's procurement prices of rice, the minister said farmers are now getting fair prices. Farmers can sell their paddy from Tk 900 to Tk 1,100 from their fields immediately after harvesting the paddy.

Razzaque said there are many people who don't think the development of agriculture as a 'real development.' Local public representatives think that development means building roads and highways, and constructing school and college buildings.

"But, unprecedented development has taken place in agriculture over the last 14 years. We are providing rice harvest machines to farmers in Haor districts at 70 per cent subsidized rate. It means, if the price of a machine is Tk 28 lakh, the government is providing Tk 20 lakh while the farmers are providing Tk 8 lakh. It is a significant development in the field of agriculture in Bangladesh," he said.

The minister said Boro paddy has been cultivated on 4.52 lakh hectres of land in the haors of seven districts--Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Netrakona and Brahmanbaria. On the other hand, Boro paddy has been cultivated on a total of 9.53 lakh hectres of land (haors and high lands beyond the haors). The production target was 40 lakh metric tonnes. Some 90 per cent of Boro paddy has been harvested at the haors so far. Of these, 90 per cent of Boro paddy has been harvested in Sylhet haors, 97 per cent in Moulvibazar haors, 80 per cent in Habiganj haors, 96 per cent in Sunamganj haors, 80 per cent in Kishoreganj haors, 96 per cent in Netrakona haors and 92 per cent in Brahmanbaria haors.