ZCZC
JS-05
AGRICULTURE-COMMERCIALISATION
Govt will commercialise agriculture for keeping farmers’ interest:
Razzaque
SANGSAD BHABAN, June 27, 2019 (BSS) – Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur
Razzaque today said the government will take steps for commercialisation of
agriculture, which will help farmers get fair price of their crops.
“Of course, the government will look into the interest of the farmers. We
will do everything possible to protect their interest,” he said while taking
part in the general discussion on the proposed budget at the Jatiya Sangsad
here.
About the price of paddy, Razzaque said as the production cost of paddy is
increased due to high price of agriculture labour, farmers are getting less
price of their paddy.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured that the government will give
Taka 3,000 crore, if necessary, for procuring equipment for commercialisation
of the country’s agriculture.
The agriculture minister said when the government assumed to the state
power in 2009, the global economic meltdown continues while the price of fuel
and food was very high. But, he said, the government had advanced the country
overcoming the situation.
Citing a quote of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
Razzaque said Bangladesh has already achieved a marked progress in all
socioeconomic indexes, which is lauded around the globe.
He said once Bangladesh was a country of food deficit, but now it has
turned into a country of food surplus.
The agriculture minister said if the farmers do not get fair price of
their crops, it would be quite impossible to turn the villages into towns.
Highlighting the different aspects of the proposed budget for fiscal 2019-
20, he said about Tk 74,000 crore was allocated to the social safety net
progarmme (SSNP) in the proposed budget, which was Tk 64,000 crore in current
fiscal.
About five crore people of 76,30,000 households are now getting benefits
from the social safety net progarmme, he added.
BSS/MRI/QC/1900 hrs