Staff Repoter :
Experts on Tuesday asked the government to enhance allocation for agricultural sector in the budget in order to reduce poverty in the country.
They said it while speaking at a national seminar on ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Rights to Food’ organized by Right to Food Bangladesh at CIRDAP auditorium.
Economists, agriculturists and farmer leaders said in the programme that at least four crore population who are living under the poverty line cannot take meals twice a day marring the development propaganda of the country.
“Enhance allocation for agricultural sector in the upcoming national budget to protect rights of the millions of marginalized farmers who are growing foods for the countrymen,” Senior Economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said it while presiding over the programme.
He said that though social development has been taking place, the disparity of income has been widening in the society.
Former Food Minister Abdur Razzak who spoke at the seminar as the chief guest said that though food productions increased, the big challenges were to ensure nutrition and safe food for the countrymen.
He said, four crore people are still under poverty line. Employment generation is urgent at manufacturing sector to lift those poor people above the poverty line.
He called for taking the backward population ahead to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Former Director General of Department of Agricultural Extension Hamidur Rahman said that the food production increased, but silent hunger prevailed in the country.
Country Director of ‘Hunger Free World’, Ataur Rahman said, the subsidies in agriculture do not reach the actual farmers.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Agricultural University’s former
Vice-Chancellor Mahabubur Rahman said that 24 per cent people were hardcore poor.
General Secretary of ‘Right to Food Bangladesh’, Mohsin Ali who presented keynote at the seminar said, Bangladesh has imported 84 lakh tonnes of food grains this year and of them 36 lakh tones were rice only. He said, import dependence pushed the food security in danger.
He presented four point recommendations including formation of price commissions for fixing fair rate for agricultural production, enhancing agricultural budgets with priority, giving farmers incentives for using mechanized equipment and formulation of necessary laws, policies to protect agricultural lands.
Bangladesh Krishak Federation General Secretary Jayed Iqbal, Bhumihin Samity General Secretary Subal Das and Human Activist Amoli Kisku, also spoke at the seminar.
Experts on Tuesday asked the government to enhance allocation for agricultural sector in the budget in order to reduce poverty in the country.
They said it while speaking at a national seminar on ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Rights to Food’ organized by Right to Food Bangladesh at CIRDAP auditorium.
Economists, agriculturists and farmer leaders said in the programme that at least four crore population who are living under the poverty line cannot take meals twice a day marring the development propaganda of the country.
“Enhance allocation for agricultural sector in the upcoming national budget to protect rights of the millions of marginalized farmers who are growing foods for the countrymen,” Senior Economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said it while presiding over the programme.
He said that though social development has been taking place, the disparity of income has been widening in the society.
Former Food Minister Abdur Razzak who spoke at the seminar as the chief guest said that though food productions increased, the big challenges were to ensure nutrition and safe food for the countrymen.
He said, four crore people are still under poverty line. Employment generation is urgent at manufacturing sector to lift those poor people above the poverty line.
He called for taking the backward population ahead to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Former Director General of Department of Agricultural Extension Hamidur Rahman said that the food production increased, but silent hunger prevailed in the country.
Country Director of ‘Hunger Free World’, Ataur Rahman said, the subsidies in agriculture do not reach the actual farmers.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Agricultural University’s former
Vice-Chancellor Mahabubur Rahman said that 24 per cent people were hardcore poor.
General Secretary of ‘Right to Food Bangladesh’, Mohsin Ali who presented keynote at the seminar said, Bangladesh has imported 84 lakh tonnes of food grains this year and of them 36 lakh tones were rice only. He said, import dependence pushed the food security in danger.
He presented four point recommendations including formation of price commissions for fixing fair rate for agricultural production, enhancing agricultural budgets with priority, giving farmers incentives for using mechanized equipment and formulation of necessary laws, policies to protect agricultural lands.
Bangladesh Krishak Federation General Secretary Jayed Iqbal, Bhumihin Samity General Secretary Subal Das and Human Activist Amoli Kisku, also spoke at the seminar.
