Trackback URL
Download PDF Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday called for restructuring the country’s agricultural system to increase the production of food grains for ensuring food security.
Referring to the recent trend in the world food production, he said it is clearly understood in the changed situation that the strategy to replenish food shortages through import is risky.
Inaugurating a three-day ‘Bari Technology Transfer Workshop 2008′ organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari), Fakhruddin said the government has taken the initiative to formulate a new national agricultural policy considering the changed perspective at national and international levels.
He called for adopting effective and sustainable short, medium and long-term planning and programmes to boost the agricultural production.
The objective of the agricultural technology transfer workshop is to make the recently developed sustainable and useful technologies to the farmers through agricultural extension and development workers of the government and private organisations.
The Bari has recently developed 126 new varieties of crops including high yielding, temperature- and salt-tolerant and insect resistant food grains, vegetables and crops, and 55 technologies for production management of the crops.
The Bari has so far developed 281 high-yielding varieties of crops and 293 production friendly technologies.
Bari Director General M Harun-or-Rashid made a presentation at the function on the newly developed technologies to be transferred to the farmers.
Agriculture Adviser CS Karim also spoke at the function, chaired by Agriculture Secretary M Abdul Aziz.
Some 300 participants are taking part in the workshop.
Scientists, researchers, and civil and military officials were present at the function held at Badruddoza Auditorium of the Rice Research Institute.
The chief adviser agreed that prices of essentials rose substantially aggravating the sufferings of the lower, middle and limited income groups, as their income and purchasing capacity have not increased.
He, however, said the government has sincerely deployed all its strength and taken all possible steps to keep the prices of food grains at tolerable level.
Fakhruddin said huge quantities of crops were destroyed due to last year’s two successive floods and Cyclone ‘Sidr’ as well as adverse weather, increasing the production costs.
He said many developed countries are using food grains to produce bio-fuel, resulting in the gradual shortage of food grains on the world market.
The food exporting countries are now turning into importing countries while prices of food are quickly going up worldwide, he said, adding that the impact of this adverse situation falls on Bangladesh.
The chief adviser called on all to use their strength, merit and skill to face the challenges of agricultural development so that a poverty- and hunger-free Bangladesh could become a reality.
He said not an inch of arable land should lie fallow and urged all to do whatever is necessary to ensure highest production in each unit of the arable land.
Fakhruddin said if agricultural production increases, it would raise the income of the farmers, improving their lifestyle and boosting rural growth.
He asked the media, particularly radio and TV channels, to attach great importance to broadcast agriculture-related news and programmes so that all the relevant information reaches the farmers.
The chief adviser said the government is giving top priority to the modernisation of agriculture in order to materialise the dream of a poverty-free Bangladesh.
The government, he added, has set up an endowment fund of Tk 350 crore in this fiscal year, giving priority to agricultural research.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply