The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Agriculture Adviser Dr Chowdhury Sajjadul Karim yesterday stressed the need for developing knowledge-based agriculture sector for ushering in a new chapter of green revolution.

He was addressing as chief guest a day-long motivational field trip programme on "Expansion of Urea Deep Placement (UDP) Technology in 80 Upazilas of Bangladesh during Boro 2008", at Gazimura under Laksham Upazila in Comilla.

Over 100 farmers from Feni, Noakhali, Lakshipur and Laksham participated in the programme organised by the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agriculture Development.

Karim said the country has been facing tremendous pressure due to climate change.Besides, the world is now under the threat of food security. Money alone can not address the food problem. So we have to depend on our own production for ensuring for food security, he added.

He urged the farmers not to keep a single square inch of land uncultivated to make the country self-sufficient in food.

If we go for optimum utilisation of our cultivable land, we shall be able to export foodgrains like garment products after meeting our home demand, the Agriculture Adviser noted.

He held out the assurance that the government would extend all-out Cooperation and help to the farmers for augmenting food production. The government has for the first provided Tk 250 as diesel subsidyto 66 lakh farmers for Boro production from Pahela Baishakh, he added.

The Agriculture Adviser informed that the price of urea has now shot up to Tk 35,000 per tonne from Tk 12,500 last year.He, therefore, called for using guti urea in increased quantity to reduce the cost of

Production. " Farmers have used Guti urea on 2.5 lakh hectares of land this year as against 25m000 hectares last year,"he said.

He further said that the application of Guti urea has increased the productivity of land and it is also cost effective for our farmers.

He congratulated the farmers who have achieved the target of food production in their lands with their own finance , labour and risk after the flood and cyclone Sidr.

The farmers urged the Agriculture Adviser to ensure availability of Guti urea in the markets.

M Abdul Aziz, secretary, Agriculture Ministry, was present on the occasion as special guest Md Shamsul Alam, Director General of the Department of Agriculture Extension, John H Allgood, Director of IFDC, Ismat Jahan, Resident Representative of IFDC Asia Division and Shahidul Islam, Director, Department of Agriculture Extension attending the function, among other.

Later, the agriculture adviser distributing cash as diesel subsidy among the farmers of Laksham.