Paddy is the main food grain of Bangladesh. We make a living by eating rice made from rice. About one-third of the world's people are food eaters. There is a lot of demand for paddy in Bangladesh. This growing demand is being met in various ways. This rice cultivation has been going on for thousands of years in the Indian subcontinent. No other agricultural product can be compared with paddy.
*Origin of paddy cultivation:
Paddy (scientific name- Oryza sative) is a cereal plant of Graminae / poaceae family. Paddy is widely cultivated in warm climates, especially in East Asia. Rice or rice has been the staple food of millions of people since ancient times. It is said that paddy was cultivated about 10,000 years ago under the patronage of the kings of China and Japan.
*Description of Paddy Plants:
Paddy trees are usually 1-1.6 m tall. Its leaves are slender, elongated in shape. Leaves up to 50-100 cm (20-39 inches) long and 2-2.5 cm long. (0.79-0.98 inches) wide. It is usually pollinated by air. The branched position of the flowers in the inflorescence is arranged from top to bottom. One is a inflorescence 30-50 sec. Mr. (10-20 inches) tall. Its seeds are eaten as food, it is called grain. At first the paddy is of sajub color. When the rice ripens, it turns golden.
*Place of Birth of Paddy:
Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Japan, Sri Lanka. More or less rice is grown in almost all the countries of the world. Paddy is grown all over Bangladesh. However, much more paddy is grown in Barisal, Dhaka, Comilla, Dinajpur, Sylhet, Jamalpur and Mymensingh of Bangladesh.
*Seedbed for paddy cultivation:
In order to cultivate paddy, first a seedbed has to be prepared. The seeds are sprinkled there and irrigated for a few days. Then the small seedlings are picked and planted in the main land. Moreover, it is also cultivated by sprinkling seeds directly on the land.
*Classification:
There are different types of rice varieties in Bangladesh. Among these, paddy is divided into three categories Aush, Aman and Boro. Each type also has different names. Such as- Lakshmibilas, Kalajira, Manidighi etc. At present, Erie rice is being cultivated extensively.
*Paddy production in Bangladesh:
Paddy production is increasing day by day in Bangladesh. According to the concerned department, the total production of rice in the country in 1950-51 was 62 lakh tons. After excluding 10 per cent for seeds and wastage, the net availability of rice was 55 lakh 60 thousand tons. The number of people was 4 crore 21 lakhs. In that year, the food grain deficit was 11 lakh tonnes. Rice production did not change much in 1975-1975. The annual production of rice was one crore 8 lakh tons. At that time the population of the country was 6 crore. At present, in the year 2013-14, the production of paddy is 34 million tons. The population of the country has doubled in these 43 years from 1981-2014. On the other hand, the production of this paddy has tripled in the same period. In addition to the Rice Research Institute, the Nuclear Research Institute (BINA) has developed 14 varieties of rice in Bangladesh. Which has become very popular among the farmers.
Rice produced from paddy is the main food of Bengalis. Although rice is the staple food in our country, in most cases we are not able to cultivate rice in a scientific way; Because our agriculture is still dependent on nature. Even then, Bangladesh has made great strides in paddy production. With the full cooperation of the government, Bangladesh will go further in paddy production.
