Razzaque for ensuring fair price for farmers through cooperatives

Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque on Saturday said if Bangabandhu’s cooperatives movement and philosophy can be utilized, it will be possible to ensure fair price for farmers through increasing agricultural production, processing and proper marketing.

He was addressing a discussion marking the National Cooperatives Day at Madhupur Upazila Parishad auditorium in the district.

Razzaque, also Awami League Presidium Member, said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman talked about the cooperatives movement and agricultural production system.

The essence of his philosophy was that under the cooperatives, none will take lands of farmers rather lands of all farmers would be integrated for marking production all together.

“We would have to utilize Bangabandhu’s philosophy of cooperatives. If we can use it successfully, agricultural production would increase manifold as well as it will ease processing of agricultural products and proper marketing of those,” he said. The minister said the government is providing agricultural machinery including combine harvester and reaper with 50-70 per cent subsidy.

He said if the farmers come forward to join cooperatives, it will be easier for them to buy agricultural machinery.

He said the government is working to fully utilize the scopes of pineapple production at Madhupur. Mentioning that high quality species of pineapple saplings are being brought from Philippines, Razzaque said 6 lakh more high quality saplings of pineapples will be distributed at Madhupur this year.

Madhupur Upazila Chairman Sarwar Alam Khan Abu, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shamima Yasmin, municipality mayor Md Siddique Hossain Khan, Upazila AL President Khandker Shafiuddin, Senior Vice-President Yakub Ali, Organizing Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Upazila Vice-Chairman Sharif Ahmed Nasir, among others, addressed it.

Earlier, the agriculture minister joined a procession marking the National Cooperatives Day, and inaugurated a newly built extension building of Madhupur Upazila Parishad and library and distributed combine harvester in subsidized price among farmers.