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The seventh D-8 ministerial meeting on agriculture and food security will begin online today.
Ministers for agriculture and food of the member states of the forum will participate in the meeting while Bangladesh will host the event.
The meeting is going to be held online for the Covid-19 pandemic. Ministers, secretaries along with high government officials of D-8 countries – Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey will attend the meeting, said Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Along with the member countries, the representatives from international development agencies such as Islamic Development Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Rice Research Institute, and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center – CIMMYT also will attend the meeting.
Bangladesh is the president D-8 forum.
“Climate-smart agriculture will get priority in the meeting, thus it is important for Bangladesh,” said the minister.
“Discussions will take place on the issues like increase of production and productivity, joint research, firm mechanisation, agro-processing, blue economy, fertiliser production, seeds, animal feeds, development of value chain, training and self-sufficiency,” he said.
Responding to a question, the minister said rice price was now slightly high due to inflation. He said there was no situation like one went to the market and returned empty-handed for the price hike.
The minister said it should be considered that the population is increasing by 22-24 lakh every year, some amount of rice is being used in making animal feed and 10 lakh Rohingya people are staying in the country.
