The three-day National Fruit Fair 2022 has started at the premises of Krishibid Institution at Khamarbari in the capital. Agriculture Minister and Awami League presidium member Abdur Razzaque inaugurated the fair on Thursday morning. The fair will be continued till the 18th. This time the theme is 'Year-round fruit cultivation, money comes from nutrition'. The fair is open to the public every day from 9 am to 9 pm. Visitors to the fair will be able to learn about different techniques of fruit cultivation and purchase different varieties of fruits free from chemicals. 6 government and non-government organizations are participating in the fair. After the inauguration, the Agriculture Minister said the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working to ensure safe and nutritious food for all people as per the election promise. The government is working to provide adequate nutrition to the people. At present the daily requirement of fruit for an adult is only 55-60 grams as against 200 grams, it needs to be increased to 200 grams. Ensuring 200 grams of fruit for every 160 million people is very challenging. Therefore, the government is working to become self-sufficient in nutritious food. We want to revolutionize the production of fruits just as we have revolutionized the production of rice.
The minister said that the local fruits will not be extinct. He said that germplasm of native fruits is being preserved.
Later, the Minister attended a seminar organized on the occasion of National Fruit Fair at KIB Auditorium. Sheikh Bakhtiyar, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, and Benazir Alam, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension, presided over the function. Senior officials of the ministry and heads of agencies were present at the time.
CSO of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Babul Chandra Sarkar presented the keynote address at the seminar. He said that at present 6 types of fruits are being cultivated in the country. However, 80 per cent of the fruits produced are mango, banana and jackfruit.
Earlier in Thursday morning, the Agriculture Minister laid the foundation stone for the construction of 'Mrittika Bhaban' building of the Soil Resources Development Institute on Khamarbari Road.
