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GAZIPUR, Mar 5 (BSS): Prime Minister Khaleda Zia today stressed on agriculture technology transfer through regular training of farmers and field workers, and exchange of experiences with scientists and researchers to reduce 'yield gap' in the country's agriculture sector.
"Much more crops are being produced through improved farming system compared to the quantity our farmers grow with sweating toil," she said while addressing the Agriculture Workers' Grand Conference - 2005 at the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) here.
The Prime Minister said the country's agriculture system would have to be improved, modern and appropriate technology dependent and every inch of land utilised to halve poverty by 2015 as per the UN Millennium Development Goal.
She underscored the need for the highest priority to facing the challenges of agricultural development and called for coordinated efforts by all, irrespective of political party and opinion to reach the fruit of independence to the doorsteps of all.
Pointing to waning of cul tivable land in the country, loss of fertility for reasons, global warming and change in global weather, Khaleda Zia said crop varieties suitable for adverse environment and improved agriculture management are needed to be invented and implemented to yield necessary foodgrains from limited land.
About 15,000 agriculture workers, including scientists, researchers, officials, field workers and farmer representatives from all unions of the country attended the grand agriculture conference, second of its kind in the country after last year.
Agriculture Minister MK Anwar, State Minister for Agriculture Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Fazlul Haq Milon, MP, Agriculture Secretary ASM Abdul Halim, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Director General Tariq Ahsan, BARI Director General M Abdus Sattar and farmer representative Anwarul Haq, among others, addressed the inaugural function.
The Prime Minister also distributed National Agriculture Award - 1409 (Bengali year) among 32 people for their outstanding performance in the field of agriculture and formally inaugurated a five-day agriculture technology fair on the BARI premises.
The Prime Minister said the present government has strengthened its activities and assistance for invention of new technologies through research for development of agriculture sector.
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