Coastal areas have huge potential for agri production: Razzaque

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Sunday said there is huge potential for agricultural production in the saline lands of the coastal and southern parts of the country.

“There is a huge potential for agricultural production in the saline lands of the coastal and southern parts of the country as our agricultural scientists have been able to develop saline tolerant improved-varieties of many crops including paddy, pulses, watermelon, potato, maize, barley, sunflower, vegetables,” he said while addressing a farmers’ rally in Dumuria upazila here.

Work is underway to rapidly expand these varieties and production technologies among all farmers in the vast coastal areas, he added. A roadmap is being prepared for this purpose, he said, adding that if the farmers cultivate these crops, a new agricultural revolution will take place in the saline-prone areas of the southern sides of the country. Earlier, the agriculture minister also inspected the advance bean cultivation, off-season watermelon and Chili cultivation there.

Razzaque added that about 25 per cent of the country’s area is coastal.

Due to the salinity of the area, only one crop was cultivated all year round, he said, adding that for the rest of the year after harvesting aman paddy, fields were left idle.