Boost food production to avert any crisis: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday reiterated her call to increase food production to save the country from any possible trouble amid the global economic recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.

“We have to increase our production and preserve those so that our country must not plunge into any danger,” she said.

The premier was speaking at the programme marking the 25th founding anniversary of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) and inauguration of a Technology Exhibition.

The programme was held at the Begum Sufia Kamal Auditorium while the PM joined it virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.

Hasina said that the world is witnessing an economic recession as an impact of coronavirus and war-related sanctions and counter-sanctions by the US-led Western block and Russia.

“As a result the prices of food items have soared beyond the purchasing capacity of all. Besides, prices of everything including power, fuel and transportation have been increased,” she said.

Talking about the preservation capacity, she said that the government has set up a number of modern silos to stock rice.

“Such godowns are urgently needed for food items being produced here,” she said.

She also said that the government is focusing on the food processing industries in the 100 economic zones that are being set up in different parts of the country by the government.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Education Minister Dipu Moni, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Giashuddin Miah also spoke.

A documentary on the university was also screened at the programme.

Located at Salna, Gazipur, BSMRAU was established in 1998 as the country’s 13th state-run public university by an ordinance promulgated by the government of Bangladesh.

The prime minister also put emphasis on research on food products to ensure food security in the country.

She asked the authorities concerned along with involved persons to concentrate on producing more oil seeds in the country to reduce the dependency on others.

She said that Bangladesh imports 98 percent of the edible oil it consumes.

“But the mustard oil is the best for health. It can be upgraded through refining. We can do that,” she said.