Razzaque for quick execution of GAP to raise agro-commodity export

Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque on Sunday stressed on quick implementation of good agricultural practice (GAP) throughout the country to increase export of the farm commodities.

“A good number of initiatives have already been taken for raising export of the agricultural commodities ...one of these are undertaking GAP policy,” he said.

The minister made this comment while speaking online as the chief guest at the second steering committee meeting for implementing GAP policy 2020 here.

“We need to implement the GAP quickly throughout the country and that’s why training should be imparted to different stakeholders, including officials, growers and exporters,” said Dr Razzaque, also a presidium member of the ruling Awami League.

The GAP should be executed firstly on pilot basis in the areas where there are more possibilities of exporting vegetables and fruits, he told the meeting.

Chaired by Agriculture Secretary M Sayedul Islam, the meeting was also attended, among others, by Additional Secretaries Dr M Abdur Rauf, Kamalaranjan Das, M Ruhul Amin Talukder, Hasanuzzaman Kallol, Abdullah Sajjad, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Chairman Sheikh M Bakhtiar, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Director General Benjir Alam, different agency chiefs and steering committee members.

To make agriculture financially profitable, the agriculture secretary said, the farm commodities should be made export-oriented. “GAP compliance is mandatory for the agricultural commodities to access the international market, “he added.