Dhaka, Feb. 2 -- Rice production in Bangladesh remains at 4.8 tonnes per hectare, 1.2 to 2.2 tonnes below the potential yield of 6-7 tonnes, due to constraints such as cultivation of low-yield paddy varieties, according to the final report of the taskforce on sustainable development formed by the planning ministry. Addressing the ongoing challenges would help increase rice production by up to 45.8 per cent, wheat by 66.7 per cent, maize by 34.8 per cent, jute by 42.9 per cent and potato output could be almost doubled, found an analysis of the report.

The report of the committee was submitted to the Chief Adviser of the interim government recently and the committee is scheduled to give details of it at a press conference on Monday.

"The ...