Speakers at a meeting in Rajshahi said fair price of farmers produced crops must be ensured to encourage them towards further boosting agricultural yield.
They viewed formulation of a farmers-friendly agricultural policy on holistic approach has become indispensable for protecting interests and fundamental rights of the farmers in general. Some local NGOs organized the discussion styled “Public Parliament” held at Paba Upazila Complex Hall Room recently demanding policy support and accountability in public services.
Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP, and Ayen Uddin, MP, addressed the discussion as chief and special guests respectively with Alauddin Al Azad, President of Paba Lokomorcha, in the chair.
Paba Upazila Nirbahi Officer Razzaqul Islam, Joint Director of BADC Arif Hossain Khan, Editor of Daili Sonali Sangbad Liakat Ali, Paba Agriculture Officer Saleh Ahmed and Mohanpur Agriculture Officer Khayer Uddin Mollah also spoke.
Lawmaker Badsha said farmers of the region aren’t getting fair price of their produced and urged the government to take effective measures in this regard.
He called for substantial and sustainable reduction of tyranny of the middlemen and rooting out the market syndicate.
Badsha said the demand of establishing agricultural court has tabled in the Parliament and the government in principle has taken decision to execute that. He told the meeting that four luggage bogies will be added in the trains running on Rajshahi-Dhaka route so that the farmers can sell their goods to Dhaka’s market directly.
Besides, he advocated for establishing more agricultural market places including wholesale and grower market across the country to facilitate proper marketing of the agricultural products.
He called for strengthening the agricultural marketing management system after formulating an agriculture-friendly marketing policy. Lawmaker Ayen Uddin urged the officials concerned to take immediate step for re-excavating the derelict ponds and canals to enhance their capacity of holding water to reduce the pressure on groundwater for irrigation purposes.
He said emphasis should be given on protecting the country’s agricultural system together with boosting its outputs to ensure food security through minimizing all sorts of natural and manmade catastrophes.
Side by side with expediting the process for region-based production, marketing and preservation they said steps should be taken to create export privilege of the exportable agricultural products.
