The government has taken up a project for the development and enhancement of agricultural seeds through biotechnology to boost agricultural production.
Biotechnology is the application of any technology to biological systems and living organisms or derivatives to develop or make useful products for specific use.
The objective of the project is to produce 20 lakh seedlings of potatoes by 2025 in the existing three tissue culture laboratories and supply them to the potato seed department.
According to project sources, a biotechnology department will be set up at Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) by June 30, 2025.
Through biotechnology activities, quality planting material will increase seed production and indirectly increase the yield by 20 to 25 percent to meet the demand for seed potatoes in the country, reduce import dependence and save foreign exchange, they added.
A planning official said the project titled “Development and enhancement of agricultural seeds through biotechnology” was approved at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on June 8.
The administrative approval of the project was given on August 1.
The total cost for its implementation will be Tk 72.35 crore. Of this, Tk 70.65 crore will be spent from government funds and Tk 2 crore from implementing agencies.
Starting this year, the project will be implemented by the BADC under the Ministry of Agriculture by June 2025.
The project proposal states that the project is religious in nature. So this project will open new horizons for the country. The project will serve as a subsidiary of BADC's Research Cell, Department of Potatoes, Horticulture Development and Agro-service Center.
The use of biotechnology is essential to achieve the goal of sustainable development. If planting materials can produce seeds, the yield per acre of the crop will increase and food and nutrition security will be ensured by increasing production at the national level.
Therefore, it is necessary to continue the production of more planting materials in the shortest time and in the shortest possible time through biotechnology. The project has been taken up with these considerations.
Under the project, 9 officials will go abroad to learn agricultural seed development. Tk 7,858,000 has been allocated for this.
Tk 873,000 will be spent on each person. Besides, 300 officers will be trained in the country. It will cost Tk 1,724,000.
In addition, 5,310 officials of staff, contract farmers, dealers and NGOs will be trained.
