Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdus Shahid on Wednesday said necessary steps will be taken to increase the budget for the agriculture sector.
“The government will take necessary initiatives to raise more budgets for the agriculture sector, as the government is giving the utmost priority to development of agriculture and welfare of growers,” he said.
The agriculture minister said this while attending an innovation-showcasing function run by the agriculture ministry and its 17 subordinate agencies and research outfits at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium on Wednesday morning, reports BSS.
Now farmers have no allegations regarding farming, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is disbursing necessary financial allocations considering problems and budget deficit, he said.
“We are now capable enough to face any challenge emerging in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Mentioning that the developed world is using robots in farm activities, the agriculture minister said, “So, we have to put emphasis on implementing smart-agriculture systems.”
Giving emphasis on innovation showcased by different research agencies, Dr Shahid said the initiative will motivate farmers to use modern and strategic knowledge, which will ultimately increase food production and consolidate the country’s food security.
The programme was attended, among others, by Additional Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry Moloy Chowdhury, Additional Secretary Farzana Mamtaz, BARC’s Executive Chairman Sheikh Mohammad Bakhtiar, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Chairman Abdullah Sajjad, Director General (DG) of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Badal Chandra Biswas and other agency chiefs.
Calling researchers and officials to concentrate on innovation, agriculture secretary Wahida Akhter said, “Our researchers must look for innovations along with their routine work. Their new venture will help the farmers raise their productivity,” said the secretary, who chaired the function.
At the innovation display, the agriculture ministry and its seventeen subordinate agencies and research bodies showcased the innovations of their own organisations, which included a smart wealth management system, horticulture centre management software, a smart rice profile mobile app, digitalisation of irrigation charge, farming and vertical farming systems without soil, and prepaid meters for irrigation in the Barind region.
