Food security as an agenda of next govt
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Shahiduzzaman Khan
With the parliamentary elections just near at the doors, the issue of election manifestoes and their implementation by the political parties is being discussed at various levels. The people are wondering whether or not the next political government will go for undertaking reforms in different sectoral including that of agriculture, streamlining the pace of national economic development and going along its commitment in the manifesto.
A report published in the media last week said the farmers' rights group in particular demanded that the political parties, particularly major ones like Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), should make firm commitments in their election manifestoes to address the problems in the agriculture sector giving top priority to food security. The marginal farmers, who have little idea of what agricultural reform is all about, hope that the next government would streamline the system to ensure the availability of agricultural inputs - fertiliser, seed, loan and irrigation facilities - to help increase productivity as well as ensure fair price for their produce. There is an urgent need to pay attention to the problems of agriculture as a section of people, mostly dealers, middlemen and some bank staffs, make fortune out of farmers' woes.
The new government must ensure adequate supply of quality seed and fertiliser and provide irrigation facilities as uncertainty of input supply, including electricity and diesel for irrigation, has made farming difficult nowadays. Middle and poor farmers are struggling to cope with high prices and short supply of fertiliser, seed and diesel. Adulterated fertiliser is also a major cause for concern. Fertiliser crisis during the peak season has become a perennial problem, though there is no fertiliser shortage for the rest of the year. Besides, the farmers suffer a lot of troubles in getting loans. In almost all cases, farmers have to pay bribes for getting loans.
The three major parties which ruled the country for about 32 years since independence pledged in their earlier respective party manifestoes, during the previous elections, to ensure people's food security by attaining self-sufficiency in food and guaranteeing profitable prices for crops. Apparently these parties all agree on the imperatives for land reforms, bringing about changes in agricultural system to combat any negative impact of globalisation, introducing sustainable technology in agriculture and encourage co-operatives, distributing lands among small and poor farmers and providing adequate agricultural inputs to genuine farmers.
There is no denying that the country urgently needs reforms in agriculture sector in order to increase productivity and attain food security. Land reforms are also necessary so that genuine farmers do not lose their rights to lands. It is alarming that agricultural lands are turning into residential areas or market places. Farm lands cannot be allowed to be spoilt in such a way.
According to statistics, at present 56 per cent of the people in Bangladesh are landless. Among them, many are absolutely landless without having any homestead even. And the number of this landless people is gradually on the rise, never decreasing. Yet no effective step has been taken to establish the right of the landless to 'khas' resources including agricultural land and water bodies to check this disastrous trend.
It was witnessed in the past the political parties, while assuming power, had made much promises and commitments on such matters but seldom delivered the same. Under the socio-economic realities of Bangladesh, there is no alternative to agricultural reform. For this, what is needed is clear a political commitment above party and person, and its planned implementation.
The current state of affairs in the farm sector serves as a timely wakeup call for governments, multilateral organisations and donors to refocus on agriculture. Various national and international bodies have called for a second Green Revolution to feed the world in the face of growing population and shrinking land base for agricultural uses. Despite falling prices in international markets, illogical high price of food grains appears to have emerged as a problem of serious concern for Bangladesh. The experts are of the opinion that the country is under threat of artificial food crisis and that the price hike of food grains might turn into a regular phenomenon.
Most arable lands in Bangladesh have already been over-used and over-fertilised to get maximum output. Both fertility and productivity of cultivable land are diminishing. Bangladesh's soil also contains the lowest quantity of humus, the organic matter vital for living soil. As such, before attaining food security through augmenting production at any cost, the country should first think whether it is possible to feed the ever-increasing population of the country with the limited arable land.
It is true that per acre production in the country has increased over the years through introduction of HYV varieties, along with application of chemical fertiliser, pesticides and artificial irrigation. But the increased crop output is not only the contribution of per acre higher yield, it is also due to bringing more and more lands under crop cultivation, damaging forests, and encroaching on rivers, haors, beels and marshes. The process has increased food production but, at the same time, upset the ecology and environment, whose inherent cost is not insignificant. As such, Bangladesh needs to find out alternative ways to build food security.
The next political government will need to keep in mind that without drastic reforms in agriculture sector, the overall economy will not be boosted. Survival of the teeming millions depends on food security.
szkhan@thefinancialexpress-bd.com
With the parliamentary elections just near at the doors, the issue of election manifestoes and their implementation by the political parties is being discussed at various levels. The people are wondering whether or not the next political government will go for undertaking reforms in different sectoral including that of agriculture, streamlining the pace of national economic development and going along its commitment in the manifesto.
A report published in the media last week said the farmers' rights group in particular demanded that the political parties, particularly major ones like Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), should make firm commitments in their election manifestoes to address the problems in the agriculture sector giving top priority to food security. The marginal farmers, who have little idea of what agricultural reform is all about, hope that the next government would streamline the system to ensure the availability of agricultural inputs - fertiliser, seed, loan and irrigation facilities - to help increase productivity as well as ensure fair price for their produce. There is an urgent need to pay attention to the problems of agriculture as a section of people, mostly dealers, middlemen and some bank staffs, make fortune out of farmers' woes.
The new government must ensure adequate supply of quality seed and fertiliser and provide irrigation facilities as uncertainty of input supply, including electricity and diesel for irrigation, has made farming difficult nowadays. Middle and poor farmers are struggling to cope with high prices and short supply of fertiliser, seed and diesel. Adulterated fertiliser is also a major cause for concern. Fertiliser crisis during the peak season has become a perennial problem, though there is no fertiliser shortage for the rest of the year. Besides, the farmers suffer a lot of troubles in getting loans. In almost all cases, farmers have to pay bribes for getting loans.
The three major parties which ruled the country for about 32 years since independence pledged in their earlier respective party manifestoes, during the previous elections, to ensure people's food security by attaining self-sufficiency in food and guaranteeing profitable prices for crops. Apparently these parties all agree on the imperatives for land reforms, bringing about changes in agricultural system to combat any negative impact of globalisation, introducing sustainable technology in agriculture and encourage co-operatives, distributing lands among small and poor farmers and providing adequate agricultural inputs to genuine farmers.
There is no denying that the country urgently needs reforms in agriculture sector in order to increase productivity and attain food security. Land reforms are also necessary so that genuine farmers do not lose their rights to lands. It is alarming that agricultural lands are turning into residential areas or market places. Farm lands cannot be allowed to be spoilt in such a way.
According to statistics, at present 56 per cent of the people in Bangladesh are landless. Among them, many are absolutely landless without having any homestead even. And the number of this landless people is gradually on the rise, never decreasing. Yet no effective step has been taken to establish the right of the landless to 'khas' resources including agricultural land and water bodies to check this disastrous trend.
It was witnessed in the past the political parties, while assuming power, had made much promises and commitments on such matters but seldom delivered the same. Under the socio-economic realities of Bangladesh, there is no alternative to agricultural reform. For this, what is needed is clear a political commitment above party and person, and its planned implementation.
The current state of affairs in the farm sector serves as a timely wakeup call for governments, multilateral organisations and donors to refocus on agriculture. Various national and international bodies have called for a second Green Revolution to feed the world in the face of growing population and shrinking land base for agricultural uses. Despite falling prices in international markets, illogical high price of food grains appears to have emerged as a problem of serious concern for Bangladesh. The experts are of the opinion that the country is under threat of artificial food crisis and that the price hike of food grains might turn into a regular phenomenon.
Most arable lands in Bangladesh have already been over-used and over-fertilised to get maximum output. Both fertility and productivity of cultivable land are diminishing. Bangladesh's soil also contains the lowest quantity of humus, the organic matter vital for living soil. As such, before attaining food security through augmenting production at any cost, the country should first think whether it is possible to feed the ever-increasing population of the country with the limited arable land.
It is true that per acre production in the country has increased over the years through introduction of HYV varieties, along with application of chemical fertiliser, pesticides and artificial irrigation. But the increased crop output is not only the contribution of per acre higher yield, it is also due to bringing more and more lands under crop cultivation, damaging forests, and encroaching on rivers, haors, beels and marshes. The process has increased food production but, at the same time, upset the ecology and environment, whose inherent cost is not insignificant. As such, Bangladesh needs to find out alternative ways to build food security.
The next political government will need to keep in mind that without drastic reforms in agriculture sector, the overall economy will not be boosted. Survival of the teeming millions depends on food security.
szkhan@thefinancialexpress-bd.com