Staff Reporter :
Experts at a discussion on Tuesday alleged that the traders exploit the inadequate rice stock policy of the government.
The food stock capacity should be increased to 50 lakh from the existing 21 lakh metric tonnes as the existing capacity is not sufficient to keep the market stable, they said while speaking at media award giving ceremony.
The ceremony was organised by Farming Future Bangladesh (FFB), a Bill & Melinda Gates supported organisation, in the city on Tuesday.
Six journalists have been awarded the “FFB Media Fellowship 2021” for their impact reporting on the mounting crisis in food security, acute malnutrition.
They have played a effective role in covering the various crises in agriculture, maternal and child malnutrition and food habits in the poverty-stricken regions.
Journalists are Al Amin (The New Nation), Abbas Uddin (The Business Standard), ANM Mohibub-Uz- Zaman (The Daily Sun), Mehedi Al Amin (The Business Post), and Shah Muhammad Nazmus Sakib (The Financial Express).
Anwar Faruque, former secretary of the Agriculture Ministry said, “Prestigious media fellowships can inspire journalists across the country to report unbiased stories. The mass people will know about impactful news on food and nutrition security when journalism champions evidence-driven solutions in food security.”
He further said the farmers are being deprived or fair price of their crops due to the lack of adequate policy.
Special programme should be taken in the poorest area of the country for adopting them with the changing world, he added.
Dr Khalilur Rahman, Director of Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC), said, “Nutritious diet for all is essential to meet SDG-2, which wants to end hunger. Media fellowships prove that journalists are doing their part to update us about the crisis in food security.”
Md Shahjahan Ali Biswas, Director of Agricultural Information Service (AIS), said, “Adoption of modern agricultural methods can help us to understand and to tackle the current challenges in food and nutrition.”
In his key note paper, Shahanuare Shahid Shahin, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Agriculture Journalist Forum, said that the traders are taking chances from the inadequate rice stock policy of the government.
“The food stock capacity should be developed to 50 lakh from 21 lakh metric tonnes,” he said.
He also alleged that the millers are increasing the prices of rice due to the lack of coordination of the ministry.
Md Arif Hossain, CEO & Executive Director of FFB, was the chair of the event. He shared his vision to recognise more trailblazing journalism in the agriculture beat through this fellowship.
He said, “Journalists show us the blueprint of the national agriculture, alerting us about the food and nutrition status. The media fellowship is a way to recognise their contribution.”
The FFB is a comprehensive communication and community engagement organization, aimed to improve access to modern agricultural innovations including agricultural biotechnology for sustainable food security in Bangladesh.
