DHAKA, Jun 25, 2020 (BSS) – Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque
today called for raising cultivation and production of exotic crops
including cashew nuts, coffee and dragon fruit along with conventional
crops for greater economic benefit of the farmers as he assured them
of providing all out support.
“Along with the conventional crops, the government will provide all
out support to the farmers for increasing cultivation, production and
processing of the exotic crops”, he told while distributing vehicles
among the upazila agriculture officials from his official residence
here.
About possibility of cashew nuts and coffee cultivation in the
country, the minister said, there is huge scope of cashew nuts and
coffee cultivation in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) and most of the
northern region districts as price of these crops is higher and have
also huge demand in international markets.
Even the country has to give more attention to increasing production
and processing of these crops, he added.
Agriculture Secretary M Nasiruzzaman also joined the online function
as the special guest.
Stressing on the need for crops diversification, Dr Razzaque said,
“We have to increase the cropping intensity through repeated crop
production on the same land as our arable land is shrinking day by
day.”
Highlighting the government’s main purpose of transforming
subsistence agriculture into more profitable and commercialization, he
said the government is giving more importance on commercialization and
mechanization of the farm sector in order to bring a qualitative
change to growers life.
He urged all the concerned officials and employees to work with due
sincerity and integrity in this regard.
The government is now implementing the third phase of a project on
‘Farmers Training through Transforming Technology at the Upazila
Level’ at 106 upazilas of 47 districts at a cost of Taka 314.29 crore.
The four-years project will conclude on December in 2022, the minister
added.
Chaired by Director General of the Department of Agricultural
Extension (DAE) Dr M Abdul Muyeed, the function was also attended,
among others, by Additional Agriculture Secretary M Hasanuzzaman
Kallol, DAE’s Director M Shah Alam, Project Director Tajul Islam
Patwary and other field level officials.