Thrust on boosting production to cope with food crisis
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Speakers at a workshop in the city Monday laid emphasis on intensifying efforts for raising food production at local level to cope with current food shortage as food security worldwide remains a far cry from being guaranteed, reports BSS.
They called for making a sound policy based on clear analysis and research to reinforce an enabling environment for sustainable food security in the country.
Ad Spijkers, FAO Represen-tative in the country said, Bangladesh through commensurate and sustained actions in both the short, medium and long-term can guarantee the sustainability of food grain as all five factors of good agriculture remain positive for the country.
The workshop was held to review the preliminary findings of the research works conducted on a broad range of issues relating to food security and food policy under National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP).
On the first day of the two-day workshop, as many as 10 research studies conducted by academic institutions and other research organisations were presented on various aspects of food security and policy issues ranging from land use pattern and agriculture extension policy to food security in coastal region were placed, while 12 more studies would be shared today (Tuesday).
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder attended the workshop as the chief guest.
Head of the Delegation of European Commission Stefan Frowein, Deputy Mission Director of USAID Carey N Gordon, Chief Technical Adviser of NFPCSP Ciro Fiorillo, MoFDM Research Director Nikhil R Roy spoke, among others, on the occasion while Director General of FPMU unit MoFDM Shafiqul Islam presided.
Clarifying his observation FOA Representative Ad Spijkers said land, water, labour, seeds and fertiliser are most important components for agriculture and except fertiliser and high yield seeds, all other elements are available in Bangladesh.
Referring to the government efforts to meet up the fertiliser shortage, he said, purchases of high yielding seeds from China are also very good signs for Bangladesh.
They called for making a sound policy based on clear analysis and research to reinforce an enabling environment for sustainable food security in the country.
Ad Spijkers, FAO Represen-tative in the country said, Bangladesh through commensurate and sustained actions in both the short, medium and long-term can guarantee the sustainability of food grain as all five factors of good agriculture remain positive for the country.
The workshop was held to review the preliminary findings of the research works conducted on a broad range of issues relating to food security and food policy under National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP).
On the first day of the two-day workshop, as many as 10 research studies conducted by academic institutions and other research organisations were presented on various aspects of food security and policy issues ranging from land use pattern and agriculture extension policy to food security in coastal region were placed, while 12 more studies would be shared today (Tuesday).
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder attended the workshop as the chief guest.
Head of the Delegation of European Commission Stefan Frowein, Deputy Mission Director of USAID Carey N Gordon, Chief Technical Adviser of NFPCSP Ciro Fiorillo, MoFDM Research Director Nikhil R Roy spoke, among others, on the occasion while Director General of FPMU unit MoFDM Shafiqul Islam presided.
Clarifying his observation FOA Representative Ad Spijkers said land, water, labour, seeds and fertiliser are most important components for agriculture and except fertiliser and high yield seeds, all other elements are available in Bangladesh.
Referring to the government efforts to meet up the fertiliser shortage, he said, purchases of high yielding seeds from China are also very good signs for Bangladesh.