The New Nation - Internet Edition

According to a recent USAID Press Release, the United States will undertake a program involving more than $50 million to help the farmers in the Dominican Republic learn how to be competitive by growing new crops and manufacturing handicrafts demanded by the global markets.

Agriculture is the main employer in the Dominican Republic where farmers grow mainly beans, rice, onions and garlic.

The economic and poverty reduction program called - "The Rural Economic Diversification Project" will create opportunities for more profitable produce with overseas demand. Under this project,the Dominican farmers will be trained on making wooden and decorative products to supplement their income and on environmental measures.

The project is no doubt very pragmatic. As I was going through the above mentioned press release I was thinking about our farmers.

They also need technical assistances for switching over to crop diversification and for learning domestic agro-processing skills. Particularly at this moment such a project is very much essential for the farmers of the cyclone 'Sidr' devastating areas.

It is sincerely expected that the USAID as part of their development program in Bangladesh will consider undertaking Dominican Republic type project for the economic development and poverty reduction of our farmers.

Professor M Zahidul Haque

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

Dhaka.