Bangladesh is mechanizing agriculture to boost harvest: Razzaque

Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said the government is working for mechanizing  traditional method of agriculture to get higher yield and ease farmers’ workload.

“Huge subsidies are given for mechanization of the sector. Emphasis is being placed on agro-processing, improved crop varieties and technological innovations, and climate-tolerant agriculture,” he said at an event in Dhaka.

The minister said this while addressing a session titled 'Transformation of Agriculture' at the international conference on Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, under way in a city hotel.

He said traditional agriculture is being modernized.

Highlighting the challenges for agriculture and food security in the country, the minister said, "We give attention to sustainable food security through maximum utilization of limited resources."

The government is working for reclamation of fallow lands, cultivation of crops in adverse condition such as drought, salinity, increase in crop density, innovation and cultivation of more productive varieties, increase in surface water use and climate change tolerant agriculture, said Razzaque.

Lucie Fresco, Research President of Wageningen University, Netherlands, presented the keynote paper on the topic. Dutch Ambassador in Dhaka Anne van Leuven, FAO Bangladesh Representative Robert Simpson and World Bank Senior Rural Development Specialist Christian Berger were also present in the session.