The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Rice less day in a week can help saving over 34.93 lakh metric tons of rice in a year in the country.

Various foods especially potato, maize, sweet-potato and seasonal vegetables should be included in the daily diet list as alternative to rice for the sake of lessening lone dependence on it.

An around 80 lakh metric tons of potato was produced in the country during the current season and the nation could attain self-sufficiency in food through proper use of only the crop.

Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Braja Haridas made these observations while presenting his keynote paper on 'Alternative Food and Searching Nutrition' in the opening session of a daylong exhibition of alternation food, seminar and cultural function.

Braja Hari said some issues like food habit change; little bit devotion and birth control should be given priority to make Bangladesh a food-surplus nation and with this in view launching a socio-political movement has become essential.

In the context of Bangladesh, he said potato is an important food enriched with carbohydrate, protein and vitamin-C as like as rice and wheat and could play a vital role in meeting up food deficiency. Apart from this, the green vegetables are only the source of 90 percent of the total vitamin-C, which can prevent skin diseases, mouth ulcer, rickets, cancer and anemia.

Sweet potato is enriched with vitamin A and C and some other minerals, which are absent in rice. In all other perspectives, maize could be used as the main food item.

In this context, he urged the government to declare all the dwelling houses, hotels, restaurants and other social functions a rice-less day in a week and enforce all to follow it. Divisional Administration of Rajshahi arranged the programme on the City Bhaban premises. Some 32 government, non-government and voluntary organisations attended the fair displaying various types of alternative food items.

Commissioner of Rajshahi division Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan addressed the session as the chief guest with Mayor-in-charge of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Rejaun Nabi Dudu in the chair. Additional Commissioner Akteruzzaman welcomed the participants.

Additional Commissioner Asit Kumar Mukut Moni, Deputy Commissioner Ibrahim Khalil and RCC Chief Executive Officer Korban Ali also spoke on the occasion as special guests.

They said the rice production has been decreased globally due to various reasons particularly the recent global warming so importance should be given to reducing dependence on it through changing food habit.