The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Gazipur

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on Sunday stressed on taking short and long term sustainable programmes along with rapid technology transfer measures to increase food production by reducing yield gap between farm and research levels.

There is no alternative to raise food production for ensuring food security and get relieved from import of food in the present perspective of changed world scenario in food sector, he said.

The Chief Adviser said this while inaugurating a three-day Technology Transfer Workshop-2008 organised by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) at its Badrudozza auditorium here yesterday morning.

Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim attended the workshop as special guest with Agriculture Secretary M Abdul Aziz in the chair. Director General of BARI, M Harun-ur-Rashid gave a brief presentation on various activities of the organisation.

Referring to yield gap, the Chief Adviser said there is a significant difference between production at farmers level and research level. He attached utmost importance on maintaining round-the-clock communications and coordination among researchers, extension workers and farmers to reduce the gap.

The Chief Adviser also called upon the extension workers and others concerned to expedite field-level supervision and ensuring transparency in their works to this end.

About transfer of technology, he expressed the hope that the agricultural scientists would play an important role to take speedy and timely measures in transferring all sustainable technologies developed in the country to the farmers, extension workers and NGOs to boost food production.

"We have to remember that the livelihood of people would be improved with the increase of agricultural production and also it would help bring dynamism to the overall economic activities of the country," he said.

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said increased production in agricultural sector would help materialise the dreams for building a happy, prosperous and self-reliant Bangladesh.

Calling upon all concerned to cultivate every inch of land, he said that farmers should bring each inch of land under cultivation aiming at increasing food production in the country.

In this context, he laid stress on taking care of the health of land along with the crops.

The Chief Adviser urged upon all concerned to use their talent and skills to face the agricultural development challenges for building a hunger and poverty-free Bangladesh.

Detailing the salient feature of the current global economic recession, the Chief Adviser said the world agricultural production has been facing tremendous threat due to unfavourable weather condition, increase in production cost and other natural calamities.

Besides, many developed countries are using cultivable lands and food grains for producing bio-energy to maximise the profit, he said adding as a result, the supply of food grains have been decreasing gradually in the international markets and many food exporting countries have become food importing countries.

The Chief Adviser said the government has taken all out measurers to keep the price of essentials at a tolerable limit as it has understood that the strategy to meet food deficit only by importing is a risky job in the present world perspective.

About use of chemical fertilisers, he said excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the crop land has been contributing to decrease production and fertility of cultivable lands to a great extent.

In this context, he called upon all concerned to increase use of organic fertilisers instead of chemical fertilisers to this end.

Referring to this year's bumper potato production, he said timely and adequate supply and use of fertilisers, seeds and irrigation has played an important role for the production.

The Chief Adviser called upon the agricultural scientists to attach priority on introducing environment friendly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system and innovating sustainable technology to preserve these produces.

Listing the government's efforts for agricultural modernisation, he said the government has given utmost emphasis on the overall development of agriculture to fulfill the dream of poverty-free Bangladesh.

"We have introduced an endowment fund of Taka 350 crore to conduct agricultural research," he said adding that a National Agricultural Technology Project has been undertaken and steps have been taken to introduce national agricultural policy.

Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed called upon both print and electronic media to disseminate more stories on agriculture to raise public awareness in this regard.

He said the business establishments and corporate houses have to come forward to perform their social responsibilities in this regard.

Later, the Chief Adviser went round different sections of agricultural technology. A total of 20 technology packages would be presented in six technical sessions of the three-day workshop.

A total of 300 participants including 290 officials working in different agriculture-related offices are participating in the workshops where newly innovated technologies would be presented by the BARI scientists.