The New Nation - Internet Edition

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has underscored the urgency of increasing world food production by 50 percent within 2030. He said nations must minimise export restrictions and import tariff for improving vulnerable people's access to food and increasing food availability to the poor. He also called for increasing food aid and supplying agricultural inputs. Pope Benedict XVI termed hunger and malnutrition as unacceptable in a world that has sufficient production levels, the resources, and the know-how to put an end to such tragedies.

By 2030 world population is expected to increase by 50 percent. The goal of food production is likely, at best, to keep the balance of food and population at par. If seeds, fertilisers and other inputs are not duly available, food production may fall behind. But scarcity of food was not the only reason behind the recent food crisis. Lack of equitable distribution of agricultural products was one of the causes. Ban emphasised on reducing restrictions on food trade internationally. Monopoly control of seeds and technology is incompatible with the aim of increased food production. Diversion of cereal to biofuel production should be avoided to ease food crisis.

What is true for the world in respect of food situation is all the more true for Bangladesh. Food production should be higher to achieve self-sufficiency. Steady supply of seeds, fertiliser, diesel and electricity should be ensured for this. Bangladesh has 30 distinct agro-ecological zones which have been identified on the basis of physical formation, soil, land elevation in relation to flooding and agro-climatology. It is possible to shift to round the year cultivation in accordance with the specificity of the zones. Such a shift in crop pattern would reduce the chances of damage due to natural calamities.