Ensure sustainable farming for food security

"We have to ensure sustainable farming for achieving food security changing the existing complex cropping systems," he said. Without increasing productivity the developing countries can not achieve the goal, he added.

The minister said this while he was inaugurating a three-day regional steering committee and regional technical coordination committee meetings of the Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains at Spectra Convention Centre here.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

With the steering committee chairperson Dr Badaruddin Soomro in the chair, the function was also addressed by Agriculture Secretary ASM Abdul Halim, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Executive Chairman Dr Nurul Islam and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) Director General Maxico Dr Masa Iwanaga.

He said the crop diversification must be given priority in agricultural development strategy for balanced nutrition. Diversification can not be achieved unless resources are released from rice cultivation as most of our land and other agricultural resources are tied with rice cultivation, he added.

"In Bangladesh, about 77 per cent of the total cropped area and more than 80 per cent of the total irrigated area is planted with rice while rice and wheat together occupy over 83 per cent of the total cropped area in the country," he said.

M K Anwar said that increasing and competing demands for water are plunging many countries into an era of severe water shortage and arsenic contamination.

He called upon the scientists to find out ways and means to address the problems. He also urged them to reduce yield gap between the researchers and the farmers level.

A total of 115 rice and wheat experts policymakers, planners and representatives from agricultural organisations of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Mexico, USA, UK, France, Italy, Australia, the Philippines, Peru, Sri Lank, Zimbabwe, Taiwan and Africa are participating in the meeting.

Covers of five important publications on the research activities conducted by the scientists of the regional steering committee were also unveiled in the inaugural function.

In Bangladesh, about 80 per cent of wheat are cultivated after the harvest of Aman crop.

The recommendations of the meeting will strengthen the food security measures of Bangladesh through increasing rice-wheat system productivity, meeting sources said.