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Prime Minister Khaleda Zia called upon Wednesday the country's agriculturists to take steps to increase production of the diversified crops to make Bangladesh self-reliant in agro-food production, reports UNB
"It's not a matter of dignity, rather of sorrow that still now Bangladesh, a country of 140 million population, have to import onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric," she told a delegation of agriculturists.
The Prime Minister assured that the government would provide all necessary support to attain self-sufficiency in agricultural products.
Emphasising on research for increasing diversified food production, she said Thailand and Malaysia have achieved remarkable progress in agriculture while Bangladesh lagged behind.
Addressing the newly elected executive committee of Agriculturists Institution, Bangladesh at the International Conference Centre, Khaleda said agricultural production would have to increase, as only mills and factories would not be able to take the country ahead.
Mentioning her government's top priority on agriculture, she also called for inspiring the farmers for cultivation of soybean, mustard seeds, pulses, gram (chhola) and maize (bhutta) to at least meet the domestic demand.
This would save a handsome amount of money spent on imports and the saved amount could be invested in other agricultural development projects, she added.
"India, Pakistan and Thailand have advanced far," the Prime Minister said. "Why shall we lag behind?"
A 29-member newly elected body of the Agriculturists Institution, Bangladesh led by its President Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil and Secretary General Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan met the Prime Minister.
Some 14 other agriculturists of different institutions and agriculturist forums also accompanied the delegation.
The Prime Minister said that every inch of land would have to be utilised for agricultural production keeping in mind that population was increasing, but not the land.
She also stressed the need for increased production of indigenous fruits as well as of trying to cultivate foreign species, which are available in Bangladesh.
Khaleda regretted that a number of fruits, once available in Bangladesh, are now coming from foreign countries like Thailand.
The country will not progress and become self-sufficient if it depends on import, she added.
Explaining the benefit of planting coconut and betel nut (suparee) trees, she said a man can do many things by planting two coconut trees as one tree produces about 500 coconuts.
She said Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore cultivate coconut trees in abundance. Why not Bangladesh? It will save foreign exchange by meeting the domestic demand of coconut oil.
The Prime Minister urged the agriculturists to cultivate crops as per location and region where a particular crop grows well.
She also emphasised on increasing production of poultry, fisheries, dairy and other small agro-farming business.
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