Matia pledges more support for poultry sector
FE Report | Wednesday, 6 April 2011
FE Report
Agriculture minister Begum Matia Chowdhury Tuesday pledged government support for private poultry firms and said the industry contributes a lot in the fight against food insecurity. "The private sector takes the lead in the poultry sector by generating jobs and ensuring the protein supply. We'll help the sector providing infrastructure, incentives or any kind of help they need," Ms. Chowdhury said. "In an era of open market economy, it is private entrepreneurs who would lead the industry and at the same time the government would monitor the market," she added. The minister's pledge came at the annual dealers' meet and prize giving ceremony of Aftab Bohumukhi Farm Limited (ABFL) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city as the chief guest. The minister said the poultry industry alone meets 20 per cent of the overall demand of protein in the country. "You have done a tremendous job by supplying protein and also creating employment. You have to ensure quality poultry feeds and healthy chics," she told firm owners. The agriculture minister also urged scientists and researchers for introducing an alternative to soybean, which could be used in poultry feeds. Soybean is not suitable for farming in Bangladesh land, she added. The minister also urged farmers in the southern part of the country to introduce maize farming as it is salt-tolerant. Anwar Faruq, director general of seed wing of Agriculture Ministry, said maize farmers and entrepreneurs can access to loans at only 2 per cent interest. The country is now producing 2.0 to 2.5 million tonnes of maize, he said as he addressed the function as the special guest. The seed wing chief thanked the country's first private integrated farm ABFL for its outstanding contribution to the country's agriculture and also for generating employment. Manzurul Islam, chairman of Islam Group, said small and medium farm owners and farmers are the strength of the poultry industry. "Our steps towards a self-dependent and hunger-free modern Bangladesh will never succeed without the help of small and medium farms," Mr. Islam said. More than one thousand dealers and distributors of ABFL across the country were present at the ceremony. Most of them urged the minister for enforcing a ban on the import of eggs and meat. David Five, director of Business Asia and Abu Lutfe Fazle Rahim Khan, managing director of ABFL, also spoke on the occasion as special guests.
Agriculture minister Begum Matia Chowdhury Tuesday pledged government support for private poultry firms and said the industry contributes a lot in the fight against food insecurity. "The private sector takes the lead in the poultry sector by generating jobs and ensuring the protein supply. We'll help the sector providing infrastructure, incentives or any kind of help they need," Ms. Chowdhury said. "In an era of open market economy, it is private entrepreneurs who would lead the industry and at the same time the government would monitor the market," she added. The minister's pledge came at the annual dealers' meet and prize giving ceremony of Aftab Bohumukhi Farm Limited (ABFL) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city as the chief guest. The minister said the poultry industry alone meets 20 per cent of the overall demand of protein in the country. "You have done a tremendous job by supplying protein and also creating employment. You have to ensure quality poultry feeds and healthy chics," she told firm owners. The agriculture minister also urged scientists and researchers for introducing an alternative to soybean, which could be used in poultry feeds. Soybean is not suitable for farming in Bangladesh land, she added. The minister also urged farmers in the southern part of the country to introduce maize farming as it is salt-tolerant. Anwar Faruq, director general of seed wing of Agriculture Ministry, said maize farmers and entrepreneurs can access to loans at only 2 per cent interest. The country is now producing 2.0 to 2.5 million tonnes of maize, he said as he addressed the function as the special guest. The seed wing chief thanked the country's first private integrated farm ABFL for its outstanding contribution to the country's agriculture and also for generating employment. Manzurul Islam, chairman of Islam Group, said small and medium farm owners and farmers are the strength of the poultry industry. "Our steps towards a self-dependent and hunger-free modern Bangladesh will never succeed without the help of small and medium farms," Mr. Islam said. More than one thousand dealers and distributors of ABFL across the country were present at the ceremony. Most of them urged the minister for enforcing a ban on the import of eggs and meat. David Five, director of Business Asia and Abu Lutfe Fazle Rahim Khan, managing director of ABFL, also spoke on the occasion as special guests.