The local agriculture department has set a production target of 258,234 metric tonnes of rice from Aman paddy in Cox’s Bazar district this season.
With Aman paddy harvesting now 100 percent complete, farmers are busy selling their produce in local markets, while preparations for the next cropping cycle are already underway.
Farmers have started planting seedlings of Boro paddy, mustard, groundnut, maize, and other crops on the harvested land.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Cox’s Bazar—an agriculturally surplus district—set a cultivation target of 78,730 hectares for Aman paddy during the 2025–26 season.
Of this, hybrid varieties covered 7,500 hectares, high-yielding varieties (HYV) 70,730 hectares, and local varieties 500 hectares. Based on this acreage, the rice production target has been fixed at 258,234 metric tonnes.
Deputy Director of the District Agricultural Extension Department, agriculturist Dr Bimal Kumar Pramanik, said that harvesting has been completed in full and that Cox’s Bazar has enjoyed a bumper Aman harvest this year.
“Favourable weather conditions, with a good balance of sunshine and rainfall, helped farmers achieve the expected yield,” he said, adding that farmers moved quickly to plant new crops immediately after harvesting.
Meanwhile, the Food Department has begun procurement activities in the district, targeting the purchase of 8,000 metric tonnes of paddy and rice during the current fiscal year.
The breakdown includes 736 tonnes of paddy, 5,126 tonnes of Atap rice, and 2,387 tonnes of parboiled rice. The district food control office said procurement activities will continue until February.
Due to repeated challenges in government procurement in previous years, the government has increased purchase prices compared to last year.
The paddy price has been raised by Tk 1 to Tk 34 per kg, while the prices of both Atap and parboiled rice have been increased by Tk 3 to Tk 49 per kg.
The District Mill Owners’ Association president, Nurul Akhtar, stated that the demand for parboiled rice in Cox’s Bazar is minimal.
As a result, the district has only one licensed automatic parboiled rice mill, alongside 78 husking Atap rice mills. During the current season, 54 mill owners have signed contracts with the Food Department.
He also claimed that the government-fixed prices are too low, making it difficult for millers to sell rice profitably.
“Even so, many millers supply rice to the government at a loss, fearing cancellation of their licenses,” he added.
Chal Bazar Samity President Jasim Uddin said that demand in the district is dominated by fine rice, accounting for about 95 percent of consumption. In comparison, coarse rice demand stands at only 5 percent.
“Local rice production is far below demand, and consumer preference is limited,” he said, noting that rice is imported into Cox’s Bazar from Chattogram, Bogura, Naogaon, and Dinajpur to meet market needs.
District Food Controller Md Abu Kawsar said that the increase in government procurement prices has encouraged farmers to sell paddy directly.
“So far, we have collected 1,217 metric tonnes of Atap rice and 483 metric tonnes of parboiled rice from contracted mill owners,” he added.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Courtesy
