Staff Reporter :
Different agriculture and rights based organisations have termed the proposed budget for the fiscal 2015-16 as `businessmen friendly`, but not farmers’ friendly. Farmers’ interests have been overlooked in the budget.
Ten agriculture and rights based organisations namely Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation, Labour Resource Centre, Kendrio Krishak Moitri, Bangladesh Kishani Shova, Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Bangladesh Adibasi Samity, COAST Trust and EquityBD organised a press conference in this regard under the titled “National Budget for 2014-15: Farmers’ Expectations and Reality’ at the National Press Club.
Md Mujibul Haque Munir of COAST Trust presented the keynote paper, while Subal Sarker of Bhumihin Samity, Zaid Iqbal Khan of Krishak Federation, Golam Sarwar of Agricultural Farm Labour Federation, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST Trust and Representatives of other organisations delivered lectures on the occasion.
The right activists called the inadequate allocation in the agro sector as suicidal, and hindrance to attain self-sufficiency in food.
They suggested to establish a `National Price Commission` in order to ensure fair price of agro products to save farmers, and stressed on more allocation in the agriculture sector and to stop import of harmful foreign seeds.
Md Mujibul Haque Munir in the keynote noted that the size of the proposed National Budget of Fiscal 2015-16 had been increased by 23.13 percent from last year, but allocation for agriculture increased by 3.43 percent only. In the last year’s budget, the allocation for agriculture was 5.12 percent, whereas it is 4.30 per cent of the total budget this year. It is the lowest allocation in last five years, he added.
Subal Sarkar said that the proposed budget provided plenty of facilities for businessmen, but ignored farmers’ interests. The middlemen will also be benefitted, he said.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said, “We emphasize to secure self-sufficiency in food, but we do not promote our agriculture. A day may emerge when we will not be able to collect food from others even in exchange of money.”
Zaid Iqbal Khan said that the Agriculture Minister claims that farmers are getting fair price for their products, but the fact is far from the reality.
Different agriculture and rights based organisations have termed the proposed budget for the fiscal 2015-16 as `businessmen friendly`, but not farmers’ friendly. Farmers’ interests have been overlooked in the budget.
Ten agriculture and rights based organisations namely Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation, Labour Resource Centre, Kendrio Krishak Moitri, Bangladesh Kishani Shova, Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Bangladesh Adibasi Samity, COAST Trust and EquityBD organised a press conference in this regard under the titled “National Budget for 2014-15: Farmers’ Expectations and Reality’ at the National Press Club.
Md Mujibul Haque Munir of COAST Trust presented the keynote paper, while Subal Sarker of Bhumihin Samity, Zaid Iqbal Khan of Krishak Federation, Golam Sarwar of Agricultural Farm Labour Federation, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST Trust and Representatives of other organisations delivered lectures on the occasion.
The right activists called the inadequate allocation in the agro sector as suicidal, and hindrance to attain self-sufficiency in food.
They suggested to establish a `National Price Commission` in order to ensure fair price of agro products to save farmers, and stressed on more allocation in the agriculture sector and to stop import of harmful foreign seeds.
Md Mujibul Haque Munir in the keynote noted that the size of the proposed National Budget of Fiscal 2015-16 had been increased by 23.13 percent from last year, but allocation for agriculture increased by 3.43 percent only. In the last year’s budget, the allocation for agriculture was 5.12 percent, whereas it is 4.30 per cent of the total budget this year. It is the lowest allocation in last five years, he added.
Subal Sarkar said that the proposed budget provided plenty of facilities for businessmen, but ignored farmers’ interests. The middlemen will also be benefitted, he said.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said, “We emphasize to secure self-sufficiency in food, but we do not promote our agriculture. A day may emerge when we will not be able to collect food from others even in exchange of money.”
Zaid Iqbal Khan said that the Agriculture Minister claims that farmers are getting fair price for their products, but the fact is far from the reality.
