Dhaka, Jan 23 (V7N) —Agriculture Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has emphasized the importance of delivering agriculture-related information directly to people’s doorsteps to enhance productivity and benefit farmers.
“The dissemination of accurate and timely agriculture-related information to people’s doorsteps is essential. Farmers will benefit significantly from receiving precise information on time, ultimately boosting productivity,” the adviser said while speaking as the chief guest during his visit to the Agriculture Information Services (AIS) wing of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) at Khamarbari on Thursday.
Highlighting the critical role of agriculture, the adviser said: “During independence, the country’s population was 75 million. Today, it has risen to nearly 180 million, while arable land has been shrinking over the years.”
He addressed the challenges faced by farmers and officials in the agricultural sector, highlighting the need to meet the food demands of the growing population despite these difficulties.
Jahangir urged journalists to increase their coverage of agricultural issues, noting that investigative reporting can prompt swift actions to resolve challenges in the sector.
He called upon the media to prioritize broadcasting agricultural news with the importance it deserves.
Regarding the recent rise in rice prices, the adviser assured that the government is committed to stabilizing prices.
He said while the price of coarse rice has decreased, the cost of fine rice varieties remains high.
The adviser added that the Food Department has yet to procure sufficient quantities of paddy directly from farmers, despite raising procurement prices compared to last year.
On the presence of syndicates in the rice market, Jahangir said: "We have not yet identified any visible syndicates. However, if such entities are discovered, necessary action will be taken against them.”
The adviser praised officials for the successful implementation of the Open Market Sale (OMS) program of vegetables during the recent price hike.
He announced that the initiative would likely continue during the upcoming Ramadan.
He also directed agriculture marketing officials to intensify their efforts to ensure fair prices for farmers’ produce.
END/MSS/AJ
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