Cotton Development Board has adopted an action plan to expand cotton cultivation in unconventional areas of Bangladesh like drought prone, hilly areas, saline areas and char areas.
The action plan has been undertaken aiming to increase cotton production in Bangladesh without making any hindrance to food production.
This was revealed in a workshop titled “Turkey-Bangladesh Knowledge Transfer in Cotton Research and Development”, held at the conference room of Cotton Development Board at Khamarbari in the city recently.
The workshop took place under Bangladesh –Turkey IsDB Reverse Linkage Project on Enhancing Capacity in Cotton Varieties Development.
The workshop was organised in the presence of Turkish scientists with the participation of all stakeholders involved with cotton in Bangladesh.
The main theme of the workshop was a detailed discussion on the current state of cotton research and development in Bangladesh, the problems in increasing locally cotton production and how the project can play an effective role in solving the problems.
The workshop was presided over by Executive Director of Cotton Development Board Md Akhtaruzzaman while Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Md Saidul Islam was present as the chief guest.
Additional Director of Cotton Development Board Dr Md Fakhre Alam Ibn Tabib delivered the welcome speech. Project Director Dr Kamrul Islam presented the keynote paper on behalf of the Cotton Development Board and Humeyra Yaman presented the keynote paper on behalf of the Turkish delegation.
In order to increase cotton production in Bangladesh without any hindrance to food production, the Cotton Development Board has adopted an action plan to expand cotton cultivation in unconventional areas of Bangladesh such as drought prone, hilly areas, saline areas and char areas.
In order to make cotton profitable in all these areas, suitable varieties need to be developed.
Bangladesh-Turkey IsDB Reverse Linkage Project is being implemented to increase the research capacity of the Cotton Development Board to develop suitable varieties.
Four scientists from Turkey arrived in Bangladesh for the purpose of imparting training to the researchers, officers, research assistants, field workers of the Cotton Development Board in Bangladesh under this project.
The scientists are Dr Humeyra Yaman Biotechnologist, Breeder, Central Research Institute for field crops, Dr Cuma Karaoglu, Biotechnologist, Breeder, Central Research Institute for field crops, Elif Yetilmezer, Biotechnologist, Breeder, Central Research Institute for field crops, and Orhan Arpaci, Biotechnologist, Breeder of Cotton Research Institute.
Cotton farmer Md Aliar Rahman, Md Borhan Uddin and Shahidul Islam Makhan spoke at the workshop.
Md Ibrahim Khalil, Advisor of Supreme Seed Company Ltd also spoke there on behalf of the non-governmental seed companies, Md Bariul Islam, Programme Management Specialist of Islamic Development Bank’s regional hub from Dhaka, Harunur Rashid, representative of Cotton Connect and representatives of the NGO TMSS also spoke at the event.
