To meet the nutritional needs of the population several activities have been carried out to create public awareness and providing training to them.
Initiatives have been taken to ensure nutrition through fruit production, procurement and use them round the year through the establishment of Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition.
The government has also established Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute in 2016 for expanding the research on wheat and maize.
In the meantime, new varieties of wheat and maize have been developed in the field through research. In the financial year 2019-20, three new varieties of maize have been invented so far.
To address the shortage of quality seeds in the south-west coastal areas, seed breeding farms have been set up at Dashmina in Patuakhali and pulses and oil seed breeding farms and seed processing centers have been set up at Subarnachar in Noakhali.
The production of oil, pulses and spices has increased and in order to meet the desired demand, the present government has given more importance to the expansion of production of pulses, oil and spices. Bangladesh Bank is providing loans to farmers at the rate of four percent to increase the cultivation of 24 crops including pulses, oilseeds, spices and maize.
Meanwhile, planned coconut, palm and date cultivation activities are underway across the country. So far, 5867858 coconut, palm, date and betel seedlings have been distributed and planted. Encouragement to cultivate various types of unconventional and exotic fruits continue.
In order to reduce the cost of crop production, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has reduced the price of fertilizer five times focusing on expanding agriculture. Per kilogram (kg) TSP fertilizer is now available at Tk 22 from Tk 80, MOP reduced to Tk 15 only from Tk 70 and DAP price reduced to Tk 16 from Tk 90 per kg.
On the other hand, 10 mobile soil testing centers have been set up to test soil samples of farms on the spot and to recommend a balanced dose of fertilizer based on the results. It is recommending the use of balanced fertilizers in different parts of the country on the basis of immediate results.
To increase the source of irrigation, various reservoirs including canals, hill streams have been re-excavated or rehabilitated for conservation and use of surface water (rain and flood water harvesting).
With the introduction of modern technology-based rubber dams, an additional 3,500 hectares of land has been brought under irrigation facilities. Irrigation rubber dams and hydraulic elevated dams have been constructed in the riverine areas of different districts to increase the availability of surface water resources for irrigation.
An additional 18,6185 hectares of land has been brought under irrigation through re-excavation of 10,002 kilometers of beels and canals. Around 3,744 kilometer (km) of surface and 17,733 km underground irrigation pipe have been constructed.
A total of 2,458 smart cards or 202 prepaid meters have been installed for irrigation. A total of 221 solar powered irrigation pumps and 450 artisan tube wells have been installed. Another 344 wells have been installed to manage potable water and expand irrigation by using newly invented solar powered technology for small scale irrigation management by reducing pressure on ground water, recharging and using surface water.
In the case of agricultural mechanization, the government continues to provide financial assistance for the purchase of agricultural machinery at the rate of 80 percent for farmers in the haor and southern coastal areas of the country and 50 percent for other areas. So far, financial assistance of Tk 422.80 crore has been provided.
Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed that not even an inch of arable land should remain uncultivated. She directed officials concerned to give importance to agriculture in tackling the potential food crisis. As a result of these initiatives, Bangladesh has continued the trend of food production despite aggression of the rogue coronavirus and natural disasters.
“The Ministry of Agriculture is working relentlessly to ensure food security. ‘Aus’ and ‘Aman’ paddy production targets have been increased. Nutrition gardens have been set up in 1 lakh 40 thousand 387 households in 4398 unions of the country worth Tk 37.36 crore to ensure family nutrition security by bringing every inch of land under cultivation. Besides, 100 new family gardens are being set up in each union to mark the ‘Mujib Barsho,” the ministry said.
