The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The government should aim at achieving self-sufficiency instead of self-reliance to ensure food security by increasing production and sufficient procurement from local and foreign sources.

However, the prices of cereals--- rice and wheat--- are unlikely to return to its past level although some downtrend in prices is most likely.

Dr Mahabub Hossain, Executive Director of BRAC and former Director General of BIDS said this at a seminar on 'Food Security in Bangladesh: Present and Future Challenges' held at PKSF auditorium.

Institute of Microfinance organised the seminar with its Chairman Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud in the chair. Executive Director of the organisation Prof M A Baki Khalily and ADB Country Director Hua Du also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Mahabub said the main cause of price hike of food grains in Bangladesh is shortage of global production. The regular importing countries have imported higher quantities for buffer stock.

He said the increase of global production is impossible. Moreover, some countries have started to use food grains to produce bio-fuel and as animal feed.

"The present time is the beginning of the end of the era of cheap food," he observed.

Referring to the projection of continuation of the trend of high price of cereal until 2012 Dr Mahabub said the immediate crisis in Bangladesh is alarming.

"Doubling of the price within one year seriously erodes the capacity of below poverty-households to access staple food," he said describing the national scenario of food crisis.

He said the availability of substitute food--- potatoes and vegetables--- may induce poor households to change food habits under pressure. The groups at high risk are industrial workers and low-paid government employees with fixed income, he said identifying the victims of the present food crisis.

Dr Mahabub suggested the government to engage in substantial domestic procurement of food grains to build-up stocks to check possible deterioration of the situation in October-November. "Dependence on global market for food will not be good strategy."

"The government must increase capacity to operate a subsidise food distribution system to stabilise prices and assist the vulnerable groups," he said adding, " We must target to increase production by 0.35 million tons of rice every year to feed an extra nearly 2 million people per annum."

He suggested for adoption of hybrid seeds, use of quality seeds, reduce yield gaps through better crop management and efficient operation of input markets to avert food crisis.

Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud said the price hike of cereals in the international and domestic market has created pressure on people as well as small economies like Bangladesh.

"We should think of the affect of the continuous price hike of cereals on our economy," he said.

He wanted to know if Bangladesh will be able to achieve self sufficiency in food production.