Be compassionate towards farmers

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday called all to be compassionate towards farmers who are at the centre-stage of Bangladesh's success in achieving food sufficiency.

"Let's not forget the sweat of the farmers. They do the most important part in food production," she said at a seminar while World Food Day was observed worldwide.

Stating that Bangladesh exported 30,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka in the last fiscal year, Matia said the Awami League-led government has brought a surplus of food in Bangladesh since 2009 when there was food crisis.

The ministry organised the programme in the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (Barc) auditorium in the capital with the theme "Agriculture in Eradicating Rural Poverty and Social Protection".

Addressing as chief guest, Matia said agriculture was still the driving force of Bangladesh's economy, and is ensuring food security, employing half the workforce, supplying raw materials and reducing rural poverty.

Therefore, agriculture is at the core of social protection, she said, adding, "When people are not hungry, they have employment, the society is stable and there is discipline. That is what agriculture is doing in the country and the government is doing everything to boost agriculture."

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said Bangladesh's economy was growing with a GDP growth of six percent and agriculture was playing a critical role.

Poverty level will be brought down to 16 percent from 23 percent by 2020, he said, adding that the seventh fifth-year plan would be mostly dedicated to poverty reduction and meant to mainstream marginal people in haor and char areas.

Dr Abdur Razzaque, former executive chairman of Barc, said farming becomes sustainable when farmers get fair prices.

Therefore, it is vital that the authorities have policies to protect the marginal and small farmers as they are the ones facing the brunt in volatility of prices, he said.

The focus should be introducing technologies that are eco-friendly and cost-effective to make agriculture more competitive and sustainable, he said.

"While food production has gone up, food safety has become an important issue now. It is related to public health," said Razzaque, stressing on mobilising farmers at the rural levels to disseminate updated knowledge.

Mike Robson, Food and Agriculture Organization's representative in Bangladesh, said social protection in agriculture means helping the poor farmers in need and that the government has a big role to play.

Patuakhali Science and Technology University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shams-Uddin presented a paper.

Mokbul Hossain, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the agriculture ministry, Barc Executive Chairman Dr Abul Kalam Azad and agriculture ministry's Seed Wing's Director General Anowar Faruque also spoke.