Experts said Bangladesh still remains self-sufficient in food despite a series of crisis including coronavirus outbreaks, cyclone Amphan and floods.
They came up with the remarks at a webinar titled ‘Beyond the Pandemic’ organized by Awami League (AL) with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Barrister Shah Ali Farhad in the chair.
Addressing the event, Agriculture Minister and Presidium Member of AL Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said, “People are now facing economic and social crisis owing to virus outbreak”.
Referring to recent wave of floods, he said they directed the officials concerned in 33 flood-hit districts to minimise the damage in the agricultural sector caused by flood.
The minister went on saying that Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina has given utmost importance to agriculture after health.
“Not a single inch of land can be left used. We do not want to face any food crisis. The PM has directed the leaders and activists of the AL and its affiliates to work sincerely during the outbreak and we are working per se,” he added.
Addressing the function, former Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University Professor Emeritus Dr MA Sattar Mandal said that our agricultural production has seen a marked change.
Currently, 1.65c crore families are involved in farming whereas the virus crisis creates opportunities for a potential supply chain system, bringing a prospect for a commercial agriculture, he added.
Former Senior Secretary Sajjadul Hasan said that even the pandemic is still battering the world, it creates opportunity too.
The country has seen a sharp rise in fish production amid the ongoing lockdowns due to less disposal of industrial wastes, said Hasan, who is the president of Bangladesh Agricultural Economists Association.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Affairs Secretary of AL Faridunnahar Laily, said, “There has been a major change in agricultural production and management. As a result, the population has doubled after the independence with food production being quadrupled.
“Now we are not only self-sufficient in food production, but our Bangladesh came at the third spot in the global rice production. Bangladesh is first in hilsa production, second in fish production, third in jute production, third in paddy production, third in vegetable production, seventh in potato production and seventh in mango production.
“Now we are self-sufficient in food. The development of the country starting from food production to food security has now become,” she said.
The webinar, held on Tuesday, was a part of a series of discussions by AL focusing on the challenges during pandemic and afterwards.
