Latest technologies can boost agricultural output: Experts

RAJSHAHI, Nov 23 (BSS): Speakers at a meeting asked the field level agricultural officials and other staffs concerned to put in their best efforts to promote modern technologies for boosting agricultural production to feed the country's gradually increasing population.
They also said government's efforts to make the existing self-reliance in food sustainable through boosting internal production after the best uses of modern technologies and irrigation.
Promotion of crops which needs less irrigation has become an urgent task as the groundwater table has been declining abnormally in the region. The field level officers should play pioneering role in this regard.
They were addressing a planning meeting for Rabi Season-2014 held at NCDP conference hall in Rajshahi city yesterday. Additional Director Office of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) organized the meeting where more than 75 agricultural officials and others concerned from Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Chapainawabgonj districts attended.
Pijush Kanti Sarker, Director (On-farm Wing) of DAE addressed the meeting as chief guest with SM Nuruzzaman Mondal, Additional Director of DAE, Rajshahi, in the chair.
DAE Deputy Directors Hazrat Ali, Dr Alhajuddin, Saiful Islam and Sotyabrata Shaha also spoke. The discussants emphasized the need for a farmers-friendly atmosphere for boosting agricultural production for attaining the cherished goal.
Due importance should be given to disseminate modern agriculture- related technologies to the farmers utilizing the mass media so that they could be encouraged in increasing their farm production.
The Chief Guest viewed that various natural and manmade catastrophes like adverse impact of climate change have started posing serious threats to the agriculture. So, he said, time- befitting measures should be taken to address the challenges.
He said the farmers should have to be habituated in adopting modern technologies for boosting production. "We can reduce dependence on import of food grains like pulses by enhancing domestic production through proper and best uses of the modern technologies in the farming," he said adding that the urea super granule, Leaf Color Chart (LCC), Sex-pheromone and ICM and IPM are the potential and proven technologies.