Bangladesh eyeing Africa for rice export

Terming Bangladesh's current rice stock of 13 lakh metric tonnes good, Food Minister Md Qamrul Islam yesterday, referring to the recent grain export to Sri Lanka, said they were now eyeing African markets.

He was addressing as chief guest a seminar "National Food Policy Plan of Action and Country Investment Plan Monitoring Report-2015" organised by the Ministry of Food's food planning and monitoring unit (FPMU) in the capital's Cirdap auditorium.

Qamrul said the government was determined to ensure safe food in Bangladesh. "We have already formed the food safety authority last February. Now the government is going to form special courts in all 64 districts," he said.

Addressing as a special guest, Shyamal Kanti Ghosh, secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, said, with the amount of available land decreasing every year, Bangladesh needs to conduct research and develop ways to produce more in limited amounts of land.

FPMU Director General Ataur Rahman and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) nutritionist Lalita Bhattacharjee presented the report's overview.

It says that the proportion of undernourished people has been halved from 32.8 percent in 1992 to 16.4 percent in 2014-2016.

Though making good progress in reducing the number of children underweight and affected by stunting, Bangladeshi diets are still heavily dominated by rice while the amount of animal-sourced food, fruits and vegetables consumed was not up to the nutritional needs, it says.

During queries afterwards on allegations that 2 lakh tonnes of wheat recently imported from Brazil was unfit for consumption, Qamrul only said the food department's director general would comply with a High Court order of Tuesday to submit a report in 72 hours.

FAO Director (ESA) Kostas G Stamoulis, FAO representative in Bangladesh Mike Robson, USAID Dhaka Action Mission Director Paul Sabatine, European Union delegation Minister Counselor and head of Cooperation Mario Ronconi addressed as guests. Food Secretary Mushfeka Ikfat chaired the event.