BSS :
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said Bangladesh’s achievement in agriculture sector has surprised the world as the country’s food production has been increased by four folds in the last 50 years.
“The success of Bangladesh in agriculture sector has not only surprised the world, but it has also surprised the World Food Programme (WFP),” he said.
The minister made the remarks while speaking at a discussion titled “50 years of victory: achievement in agriculture sector” held at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium at Farmgate.
Bangladesh is now being presented as the case study in agriculture sector before the world, he said, adding : “As a flood prone country, Bangladesh has truly set an example before the world in raising food production despite almost half of its plain land remains submerged under water every year due to flood.”
Even the country is accompanied by cyclonic storm, flood and flash floods and also marked with per capita lowest level of arable land in the world and highest densely populated one which is affected regularly with the influence of climate change, Hasan told the meeting arranged by Bangladesh Krishi Arthonitibid Samity.
Chaired by Bangladesh Krishi Arthonitibid Samity President and former Senior Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office Sajjadul Hasan, the programme was also addressed, among others, by State Minister for Planning Professor Dr Shamsul Alam as the special guest, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Md Mokbul Hossain and vice chancellor of Hazi Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University Professor Dr M Kamruzzaman.
Praising the role of the agriculturists and the growers in raising crop production, the information and broadcasting minister said, “Our agriculturists have developed different high yielding and salt tolerant crop varieties which are our resources. Otherwise, we never achieve such acknowledgement in agriculture,” said Dr. Hasan, also joint general secretary of ruling Awami League.
In terms of area Bangladesh is the 92nd country in the world but it occupies fourth position in rice production and seventh in sweet water fish and potato production, said the minister.
Dr Hasan, however, expressed concerned over the shrinking of arable land of the country saying that country’s arable land has been declined by 25 to 30 percent in last 50 years due to unplanned urbanization and industrialization. Now 30 percent people are living in the town and it would be nearly 50 percent after next fifteen years, he added,
Talking about the impact of climate change, Dr Hasan urged all concerned to be more conscious as the country’s crop productivity will come down drastically after twenty years due to continuous losses of land fertility and declining of arable land which is now being reduced by one percent every year.
He underscored the need for undertaking a combined planning on agriculture by annexing urban agriculture with the mainstream agriculture so that the country can face the future challenges.
Terming the agriculture as the pillar of the country, Professor Dr Shamsul Alam said, “There is no alternative of agricultural economy for sustainable and uninterrupted development of the country.”
