ZCZC
BSS-41
RAZZAQUE-FOOD-PRODUCTION
Various steps are underway to boost food production: Dr Razzaque
DHAKA, June 1, 2020 (BSS) – Amid a possible food shortage
prediction by different international research organizations due to
the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur
Razzaque today said the government has taken various steps to boost
the country’s food production to overcome the food crisis.
“As the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), World Food
Programme (WFP) of the United Nations and the International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) have came up with a warning of
global famine like situation due to the corona virus situation …and
that’s why we have taken all necessary steps to overcome any
susceptible food crisis,” he told a virtual meeting from his official
residence here this morning.
The minister, however, agreed that the country needs to increase
more food production in order to avoid any possible food crisis
situation as the food production throughout the world would be
affected due to furious coronavirus infection.
To face any catastrophe in food production, Dr Razzaque said the
government has set an enhanced Aman and Aush production target in line
with the advice of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, adding that the Prime
Minister has repeatedly asked the Nation to increase food production
to avoid food shortage in the country in future.
Moderated by Agriculture Secretary M Nasiruzzaman, the meeting also
was attended, among others, by Additional Secretaries M Arifur Rahman
Apu, Kamla Ranjan Das, M Mahbubul Islam, M Hasanuzzaman Kallol,
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Chairman M
Sayedul Islam, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Director
General Dr M Shahjahan Kabir and Acting Director General of the
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) M Shah Alam.
Dr Abdur Razzaque said the government has already distributed
incentives including fertilizer, seed and irrigation among the farmers
as part of the government’s efforts to this end.
About the extension of aman acreage, he said, “the government has
set a target to produce 1.54 crore tonnes of aman rice on 59 lakh
hectares of land in 2020-21 fiscal, adding that extension of high
yielding variety and hybrid instead of less productive varieties would
be given more emphasis.”
Besides, the government has set an enhanced production target of
wheat, potato, sweet potato, winter Maize, pulses, oilseed, spices and
vegetables under the programme, he added.
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