Work out plan to check loss of arable land, says Matia

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury stressed on Sunday working out an effective plan to check the country's fast-shrinking arable land and thus maintain the momentum in its food grain production, reports UNB.
"Decrying about the loss of agricultural land will help little …we'll have to find out a proper solution to deal with the problem," she told a seminar in the capital.
The minister said the government alone cannot put an end to unplanned construction of homes on arable land. "So, it must be considered seriously finding out a way how more crops could be produced from a small land.
Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) organised the seminar titled, 'Extension of Sustainable Agricultural Technology: PKSF's Experience', at its office in the morning.
Speaking as the chief guest, Matia said non-government organisations need to supplement the government efforts to develop the agricultural sector as the country's 16 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) comes from agriculture.
Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr Mustafa K Mujeri said emphasis must be given on agriculture sector as it has been playing an important role in the country's macro development.