Give farmers access to market

Farmers hardly have any access to the market in Bangladesh and sometimes a middleman makes more profit in just 12 hours than what a farmer makes in a whole season, said Hamidur Rahman, director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension yesterday.

He was addressing as chief guest a discussion styled "Food Security in Bangladesh: Role of Media", organised by Syngenta Bangladesh, at a hotel in the capital.

Prof Golam Rahman, chairman, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), chaired the programme.

Hamidur also said the food security had been ensured in the country as the farmers were growing more and more products every year despite a decrease of croplands.

But the growers do not get proper price, Hamidur said, adding that even farmers did not enjoy any social dignity.

"If we cannot ensure proper price for their products, the farmers will look towards other occupations," said the director general.

Regarding food safety, he said it was yet to be ensured. Farmers are using excessive pesticides in vegetables and crops and if it continues, the country will lose potential markets abroad, he added.

He urged multinational companies to produce bio-pesticides and requested the media to promote vermicompost and hormone traps for pest management.

Media should play a role so that farmers who are backbones of the country get their due respects in society, said Prof Golam.

Sazzadul Hasan, managing director, Syngenta Bangladesh, a multinational agricultural products company working on herbicide; Mahbub Rahman and Mohammad Habibullah, its officials; and Kawser Rahman, president of the Forum for Information Dissemination on Agriculture, also spoke.