Shaikh Siraj terms budget agri policy, planning-friendly
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
FE Report
Agriculture development pioneer Shaikh Siraj Tuesday termed the proposed budget agriculture policy and planning-friendly.
He said, "The government has to adopt a five-year plan to protect the agriculture sector from the bad affects of climate change because it is not possible to do the same with a one-year budget."
"Irrigation and rainwater-based cultivation will be decreased by around 15 per cent as a result of climate change; so we have to take sustainable measures on short, mid and long-term basis to protect the agriculture sector," he said at a press conference organised by Hridoye Mati O Manush of Channel i at the National Press Club in the city.
He said, "Salinity of water in southern areas of the country is increasing day by day as a result of climate change and we have to introduce salt-tolerant hybrid paddy cultivation."
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has proposed for allocating a total of Tk 74.92 billion for both development and non-development expenditures under the agriculture ministry for the fiscal year 2010-11.
Mr Siraj recommended special focus on agricultural sub-sectors like fisheries, poultry, livestock and dairy industry as these are neglected in the proposed budget.
He said, "Water resources have got Tk 20.49 billion allocation in the proposed budget which is Tk 8.60 billion higher than that of the last year while rural development sector has allocation of Tk 103.09 billion which is 19.88 billion higher than that of the previous year."
He said, "Poultry sector is badly affected by natural disasters and bird flu. Last year the industry people demanded Tk 10 billion to boost it up but they got only Tk 1.0 billion from stimulus package. But the industry people got nothing like this in the proposed budget although more than 5.0 million people are involved in the potential sector."
"The frozen food sector is now earning Tk 20 billion yearly and it can earn double the amount if the government provides special assistance to the hatchery industry. But there is no specific guideline for the industry in the proposed budget to boost it up."
Mr Siraj said, "The dairy farmers demanded an increase in duty on the import of powdered milk as they are facing danger due to production cost. But the government has decreased the interest rate to five per cent from 12 per cent and the regulatory tax has been fixed at zero per cent from five per cent."
He welcomed the decision of discouraging tobacco plantation in the food grains land and increasing tax on tobacco-related products.
Agriculture development pioneer Shaikh Siraj Tuesday termed the proposed budget agriculture policy and planning-friendly.
He said, "The government has to adopt a five-year plan to protect the agriculture sector from the bad affects of climate change because it is not possible to do the same with a one-year budget."
"Irrigation and rainwater-based cultivation will be decreased by around 15 per cent as a result of climate change; so we have to take sustainable measures on short, mid and long-term basis to protect the agriculture sector," he said at a press conference organised by Hridoye Mati O Manush of Channel i at the National Press Club in the city.
He said, "Salinity of water in southern areas of the country is increasing day by day as a result of climate change and we have to introduce salt-tolerant hybrid paddy cultivation."
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has proposed for allocating a total of Tk 74.92 billion for both development and non-development expenditures under the agriculture ministry for the fiscal year 2010-11.
Mr Siraj recommended special focus on agricultural sub-sectors like fisheries, poultry, livestock and dairy industry as these are neglected in the proposed budget.
He said, "Water resources have got Tk 20.49 billion allocation in the proposed budget which is Tk 8.60 billion higher than that of the last year while rural development sector has allocation of Tk 103.09 billion which is 19.88 billion higher than that of the previous year."
He said, "Poultry sector is badly affected by natural disasters and bird flu. Last year the industry people demanded Tk 10 billion to boost it up but they got only Tk 1.0 billion from stimulus package. But the industry people got nothing like this in the proposed budget although more than 5.0 million people are involved in the potential sector."
"The frozen food sector is now earning Tk 20 billion yearly and it can earn double the amount if the government provides special assistance to the hatchery industry. But there is no specific guideline for the industry in the proposed budget to boost it up."
Mr Siraj said, "The dairy farmers demanded an increase in duty on the import of powdered milk as they are facing danger due to production cost. But the government has decreased the interest rate to five per cent from 12 per cent and the regulatory tax has been fixed at zero per cent from five per cent."
He welcomed the decision of discouraging tobacco plantation in the food grains land and increasing tax on tobacco-related products.