State minister for finance MA Mannan Sunday said the government will continue its support for farmers in the upcoming budget to attain self-sufficiency in food production.
“Ensuring food security is one of the prime goals of the present government and it will continue its support for farmers in the budget for fiscal year 2014-15 to attain this goal,” he said while speaking at a pre-budget seminar styled “National Budget 2014-15: food security and development of small and medium farmers” here.
Centre on Budget and Policy of Dhaka University organised the seminar with university treasurer Prof. Dr Md Kamal Uddin in the chair. Director of the centre Prof Dr Mohammad Abu Yusuf presented the keynote paper while chairman of Development Studies Department Prof. Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan, Dr Kazi Maruful Islam, Oxfam official Manisha Biswas, Dr Naznin Ahmed and Sharmind Nilromi, among others, spoke.
In his keynote paper Dr Mohammad Abu Yusuf suggested increasing allocation for agriculture sector, including research. He said necessary allocation will have to be made for intensifying research at grassroots level and procuring modern agricultural equipment for boosting agricultural output.