Agri research foundation to be set up

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FHM Humayan Kabir
The government will launch a programme to strengthen some of its institutions by boosting research works that would be aimed to improve the supply chain and increase the output of agricultural, fisheries and livestock products.
Official sources said under the programme the government has already started the process to set up 'Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (Agricultural Research Foundation)-KGF' to facilitate the research activities both in the public and private sectors.
Sources in the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) said the foundation would assist eligible organisations to carry out extensive research on those sectors and sub-sectors.
The World Bank (WB) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide financial assistance to the government for implementing the programme.
Sources in the finance ministry said the WB is expected to provide $60 million and the IFAD $20 million.
A project, to this effect, was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in October this year.
Sources said there are three components of the project: research, capacity building of the agricultural, fisheries and livestock related public institutions, and marketing channel development.
The MoA and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MoF&L) are working to frame a policy under which the KGF will facilitate the public and private sector agricultural organisations to conduct extensive research for the development of the country's food production, the source said.
Maintaining the proposed policy, any private or public research organisation will be able to apply for funds to the KGF to conduct research, the sources added.
Besides, some government institutions including the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) under the MoA, and Directorate of Livestock and Directorate of Fisheries under the MoF&L will be strengthened under the development project.
The government would also work to ensure uninterrupted supply chain of agricultural products to the domestic markets with the help of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the sources added.