Matia focuses on directing agri development to Southern region

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Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Food Minister Abdur Razzaq, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena seen at the workshop at a city hotel Wednesday. — FE Photo

FE Report Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury Wednesday said the country, despite an impressive performance in agriculture and economy, is still facing challenges like population growth and malnutrition. Other challenges include climate change, deteriorating access to natural resources, vulnerability to price shocks and food insecurity, the minister added. "Although Bangladesh has made impressive performance in agriculture and economic growth over the years, there is no room for opportunity and complacency," she said. The minister was addressing as the chief guest of a workshop titled 'The Feed the Future Zone in the South and the Rest of Bangladesh: A Comparison of Food Security Aspects' at a city hotel. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) organised the workshop with support from the USAID. Food Minister Abdur Razzaq, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and US Ambassador Dan Mozena were present in the programme as special guests. Matia Chowdhury said the country has been facing challenges on the agricultural front too, which include alarmingly decreasing cultivable land, partly because of housing, ever increasing population and increased demand of infrastructure and other facilities. "We need to invest considerable resources in a sensible way to address these challenges," she said. The minister reminded the richness of Southern Bangladesh that has faltered due to lack of policy support, appropriate technology and infrastructure. She said agricultural development should be directed to the Southern and coastal regions. "Southern Bangladesh has enormous potential to add to our food basket. Given the adverse impact of climate change we should work to develop more saline-tolerant seed varieties with short duration, and introduce those in the South for rapid agricultural growth," she added. Abdur Razzaq said despite the country's remarkable achievement in agriculture and food security, it still faces formidable challenges in both furthering and sustaining the progress in future. "Population is expected to reach 185 million by 2020, and in the face of resource scarcity, climate change, disaster impacts and increasing urbanisation adaptation must be made to provide enough nutrition, nutritious food and sufficient job for everyone," the minister said. He said the government is concerned with double burden of malnutrition in women and children together with ensuring food safety from farm to depots. "Evidence-based policy initiatives are essential amid the food and nutrition security challenges," said Razzaq. Dan Mozena said Bangladesh's success in filling the food basket has created new challenges of ensuring fair prices and fair returns for the farmers and for those who provide inputs, marketing and fair prices to consumers. Sustaining Bangladesh's victories in the agricultural revolution will require good policies that promote innovation and investment, reduce production and marketing costs, and increase efficiency all along the agricultural chain, the US ambassador added. Akhter Ahmed, Chief of Party, Policy Research and Strategy Support Programme of IFPRI, presented the IFPRI Household Survey in the first technical session. While commenting on the presentation, Hosain Zillur Rahman, chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), who was present as a discussant, said Southern zone of Bangladesh was historically a rich area. But it has fallen into hard times, specially regarding poverty rate, which is lower than the national average, and the people there are extremely vulnerable to insecured housing. Zillur, a former adviser to the caretaker government, also said the policy shift towards South has some additional macro-economic significance. "South remains the last untapped area where we need to shift to double or triple our agricultural production," he added.