Country's food security needs urgent planning

BANGLADESH'S limited cultivable lands are fast shrinking from population pressure and diversified uses of land, apart from agriculture. Salinity is an increasing problem in the coastal areas as well as inside the country in some places. It is also said to be a consequence of climate change. Soil fertility is under threat from excess use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides some of which are substandard. The understandable greatest emphasis on food grain production has meant reduced lands for cultivation of other essentials like pulses and oilseeds and the growing import dependence for the same.
Thus, the country requires short- mid- and long-term strategic planning to attain and maintain comprehensive food security. The present achievements are not enough from the perspective of longer term food security or not even security in the mid term. An issue of serious concern for Bangladesh is food production in recent years has not been keeping pace with population growth. The gap between the two could widen further creating greater dependence on imported food grain when international prices of the same are rising, along with growing scarcity.
Md Baqui Billah
Mymensing Agricultural University