Maintain growth in agriculture to ensure food security: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked all concerned to keep up the growth, achieved in agriculture amid the coronavirus pandemic, to ensure food security alongside making efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

"Though the coronavirus outbreak set us back to some extent, we have to maintain the growth that has been achieved in the agriculture amid the pandemic to ensure that our people don't suffer from food crisis," she said.

The prime minister said this while delivering her introductory speech at the weekly meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) through a videoconference from her official residence Gono Bhaban this morning.

Planning Minister MA Mannan was present at Gono Bhaban, while other ECNEC members were connected from the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

Sheikh Hasina, also the ECNEC chairperson, spelled out various measures taken by her government in the last 11 years for the development of agriculture.

"We've been providing all kinds of cooperation to farmers with reducing price of fertiliser, distributing quality seeds and other agricultural inputs to ensure food security," she said.

The premier added that two crore farmers have been provided with cards of agricultural input, while one crore farmers have opened bank accounts at taka 10.

She said the price of fertiliser has been slashed multiple times since the Awami League government assumed office. "The price of DAP fertiliser was taka 90 per kg during the BNP regime, but the farmers are now getting it at taka 12," she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, mentioned that the leaders and activists of party's associate organisations including Chhatra League, Jubo League, Krishak League and Swechhasebak League helped farmers harvest the Boro paddy.

She prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of her party leaders and activists who died from Covid-19, being infected while cutting the paddy.

The premier said, "It's our duty to standby the people. Other problems can be solved if we make sure there's food in every household."

The premier reiterated that her government has been tirelessly working to achieve the SDGs despite the onslaught of Covid-19 on the country's economy.

"We have a target to achieve the SDGs. We have incorporated 17 goals of the SDGs in our eighth five-year plan, and started its execution to attain the SDGs … We will be able to achieve it (SDGs) Insha Allah," she said.