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RAZZAQUE-SAFE-FOOD
Razzaque for ensuring nutritious, safe food
DHAKA, Mar 6, 2019 (BSS) – Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque today
stressed on ensuring nutritious and safe food for the people, saying that the
country has achieved self-reliance in food as the government implemented
various initiatives in the agriculture sector.
“The country has achieved self-reliance in food as the government of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has implemented various initiatives in the country’s
agriculture sector in its last two regimes. Now ensuring nutritious and safe
food for the people is the prime challenge for us,” he said.
Razzaque came up with the remarks while addressing a policy workshop titled
‘Agricultural Transformation in Bangladesh: Evidence an Agricultural
Biotechnology and Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture’ jointly organised by the
Ministry of Agriculture and International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI) at a city hotel.
Additional Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry and Director of
Agricultural Policy Support Unit (APSU) Dr Md Abdur Rouf presided over the
inaugural function while IFPRI Bangladesh Country Representative Dr Akhtar
Ahmed delivered the welcome speech.
Agricultural transformation, diversification, marketing, value add and
value chain are must for sustainable development of the country’s
agriculture, the minister said, adding that the government has updated the
time-befitting agricultural policy to this end.
Priority was given to the biotechnology research and development in the
updated agricultural policy, the minister said, adding that there is no
alternative to agricultural research to face multidimensional challenges for
ensuring nutritious and safe food.
Mentioning that some people and institutions are criticising the newly
invented varieties by the country’s agriculture scientists, he said they are
talking without showing any scientific document.
The highest importance is being given so that the newly invented variety
can’t be harmful to the environment and human being, Razzaque added.
Replying to a question from a journalist, the minister said, “We should be
strict against adulteration in food. Labs will be set up in each division,
including a central lab in the capital to detect adulteration in food
quickly”.
Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry Md Nasiruzzaman, United States Agency
for International Development (USAID) acting Mission Director Zeinah Salahi,
Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension Mir Nurul Alam
and Director General of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)
Dr. Abul Kalam Azad addressed the function, among others.
BSS/Asg/MN/SAH/RY/1745 hrs