New govt to achieve food autarky at affordable price: Matia
Friday, 10 April 2009
Past govts distorted natl food production info, she says
The past caretaker and the BNP-led coalition governments left country's people in food crisis by distorting agro-production information, said Agriculture Minister Motia Chowdhury Thursday, citing sky-high prices of food-grains in the recent past, reports UNB.
She announced the new government's resolve and measures for attaining food autarky to make food available to people at affordable prices.
Showing SPARRSO data, she told her audience at a national conference that to gain popularity the last two governments had shown more production in black and white by manipulating the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The Agriculture Minister informed that according to the Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARRSO), a research and development organisation under the Defense Ministry, the BNP-led alliance government cooked the books to show the figure 20.5 lakh metric tons more than the production in the fields at the time.
"In the caretaker tenure (fiscal year 2006-07), the figure was 30 lakh more than country's production recorded by the DAE," she said, adding these distortions cast a negative impact on the local market.
Market price was maintained according to the production and supplies but supply failure created the market-price spiraling during the then government's tenure, she said.
"But the present government has taken all possible and effective measures to achieve food sufficiency," she told the meet, adding that all forms of government support will be given to the authorities concerned and stakeholders as the country needs a nutritional nation.
The Agriculture Minister of the Awami League-led (AL) Grand Alliance government made the comparative observations and outlined remedial measures while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the national conference titled 'Market Volatility, Vulnerable Food Security in Bangladesh: Strategic Issues and Policy Options' at the Sheraton Hotel in the city.
"I will request the civil society, local donor agencies and think tanks to work as an advocate for bringing foreign funds to develop the surface water management," she told the summit meet, adding that the local farms, scientists and entrepreneurs should work together to manage the surface water averting any manmade disaster.
She assured of foodstuffs, especially rice and maize, available at cheaper rates to the consumers. "The government would take initiative to make the relevant commodities and accessories available at cheap prices," said Motia, a former firebrand student leader who is credited for smoothly running this vital sector in her previous tenure in the 1996-2000 AL government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The government would not allow promoting any quarter in the name of public-private partnership to demolish existing national capacities in agriculture sector, the Minister categorically said on a note of caution against what is suspected as market-manipulating syndication.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and the British Department for International Development (DFID) jointly organised the daylong conference, at this transitional time from a near-famine situation on the feeding front. BIDS Director General Dr MK Mujeri presided over the inaugural session.
DFID Country Representative Chris Autin, who addressed the function as special guest, said the government should take timely action in achieving food security.
He informed the audience that 69 million people still go "hungry" in the country, which is more than the entire population of the UK, while 29 million men, women and children don't know where their next meal is coming from.
"We want to help the government and expect to spend 250 million pound sterlings over the next five years," he said, adding that their focus is on the poorest and most vulnerable groups living in the haors, costal areas and the northwestern char islands.
Later at a press conference, the Agriculture Minister told reporters that the last caretaker government, "in the name of establishing local democracy.
The past caretaker and the BNP-led coalition governments left country's people in food crisis by distorting agro-production information, said Agriculture Minister Motia Chowdhury Thursday, citing sky-high prices of food-grains in the recent past, reports UNB.
She announced the new government's resolve and measures for attaining food autarky to make food available to people at affordable prices.
Showing SPARRSO data, she told her audience at a national conference that to gain popularity the last two governments had shown more production in black and white by manipulating the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The Agriculture Minister informed that according to the Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARRSO), a research and development organisation under the Defense Ministry, the BNP-led alliance government cooked the books to show the figure 20.5 lakh metric tons more than the production in the fields at the time.
"In the caretaker tenure (fiscal year 2006-07), the figure was 30 lakh more than country's production recorded by the DAE," she said, adding these distortions cast a negative impact on the local market.
Market price was maintained according to the production and supplies but supply failure created the market-price spiraling during the then government's tenure, she said.
"But the present government has taken all possible and effective measures to achieve food sufficiency," she told the meet, adding that all forms of government support will be given to the authorities concerned and stakeholders as the country needs a nutritional nation.
The Agriculture Minister of the Awami League-led (AL) Grand Alliance government made the comparative observations and outlined remedial measures while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the national conference titled 'Market Volatility, Vulnerable Food Security in Bangladesh: Strategic Issues and Policy Options' at the Sheraton Hotel in the city.
"I will request the civil society, local donor agencies and think tanks to work as an advocate for bringing foreign funds to develop the surface water management," she told the summit meet, adding that the local farms, scientists and entrepreneurs should work together to manage the surface water averting any manmade disaster.
She assured of foodstuffs, especially rice and maize, available at cheaper rates to the consumers. "The government would take initiative to make the relevant commodities and accessories available at cheap prices," said Motia, a former firebrand student leader who is credited for smoothly running this vital sector in her previous tenure in the 1996-2000 AL government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The government would not allow promoting any quarter in the name of public-private partnership to demolish existing national capacities in agriculture sector, the Minister categorically said on a note of caution against what is suspected as market-manipulating syndication.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and the British Department for International Development (DFID) jointly organised the daylong conference, at this transitional time from a near-famine situation on the feeding front. BIDS Director General Dr MK Mujeri presided over the inaugural session.
DFID Country Representative Chris Autin, who addressed the function as special guest, said the government should take timely action in achieving food security.
He informed the audience that 69 million people still go "hungry" in the country, which is more than the entire population of the UK, while 29 million men, women and children don't know where their next meal is coming from.
"We want to help the government and expect to spend 250 million pound sterlings over the next five years," he said, adding that their focus is on the poorest and most vulnerable groups living in the haors, costal areas and the northwestern char islands.
Later at a press conference, the Agriculture Minister told reporters that the last caretaker government, "in the name of establishing local democracy.