Thrust on promoting potato as alternative food

FE Report Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has emphasised the need for promoting potato as an alternative food item parallel to rice to help farmers as well as the businesses. FBCCI leaders Sunday said, potato farmers were incurring loss in consecutive years due to over-production and lack of demand. They said, the government should promote potato as an alternative to rice and wheat through raising awareness among the consumers to change their food habits. They were speaking at a seminar titled "Agriculture Sector: Problem and prospect of alternative food items for food security" at the FBCCI conference room in the capital, organised by the Federation. Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury was present at the seminar as the chief guest while FBCCI president AK Azad chaired the seminar. Vice President of FBCCI Mostofa Azad Chowdhury presented the keynote paper. The paper said this year the farmers grew nearly 10 million tonnes of potato. Nearly 3.6 million tonnes of potato have been preserved in the 332 cold storages. The paper pointed out that although price of every vegetable increased significantly the price of potato declined during the period. The paper said due to lack of demand the cold storages could sell only 0.4 million tonnes of potato and another 0.07 million tonnes were exported. "If this trend continues, the price of potato will come down further as 1.0 million tonnes of potato will remain unsold after new potato harvest which would take place in January-February next. The paper said this would adversely affect both the farmers and the cold storage owners. The keynote paper suggested procurement of potato by government from the farmers and the cold storage owners to help the farmers. It said, "The country has now nearly 7.6 million VGF (vulnerable group feeding) card holders to whom nearly 30 kg rice is distributed per head. If the government includes potato in VGF it would be possible in next three months to protect 0.4 million tonnes of potato from becoming rotten." The paper also recommended inclusion of potato in the government's rationing programmes for the Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Police, Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) and Ansar-VDP to ensure fair price of potato to the farmers and it would also bring change in food habit of the people. Matia Chowdhury opposed the idea of changing the food habit of the people forcefully. She said "It is people's intention to take their food according to their choice based on their means." The minister, however, assured the cold storage owners that she would place the matter to the Prime Minister for inclusion of potato in government's rationing and safety-net programmes. AK Azad emphasised the need for implementation of agricultural land protection act which banned industrialisation in agricultural land. He said, the country should try to bring change in the food habit of the people to ensure food security. He said: "Considering the changing pattern of climate, increase in population, reduction in agricultural land and hike in food prices globally, we should diversify both our food production and food habit". "To ensure food security we must protect agricultural lands," he added. "Considering the climate change and organic matter deficiency in soil, the government is bringing change in agricultural pattern of the country by promoting Boro in South and Maize in North", Additional Secretary of agriculture ministry Anwar Faruqe said while speaking at the programme as the special guest. He said, "The government has planned to promote Boro rice in the southern salinity-affected regions by introducing salinity-tolerant rice". "Maize would be promoted in the north as the growth of rice productivity there reached its height while the climate is no more suitable for wheat in this region," he added. First Vice President of FBCCI Md Jasim Uddin, Bangladesh Cold Storage Association president Major (rtd) Md Jasim Uddin, among others, also spoke.