Greenhouse to combat future agricultural disasters: Shahab Uddin

Greenhouse projects will produce high yielding crops to battle future disasters and provide food security for the growing population in the country, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin on Sunday.

The minister came up with the remarks while inaugurating a greenhouse at Curzon Hall Botanical Garden of Dhaka University (DU) funded by the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund.

“The adverse impact of climate change fell mostly on the agriculture sector and we need to take various adaptive techniques to minimize risks imposed in this sector”, he said, focusing on the production of climate change tolerant crops.

“Currently, climate-resilient crops are grown worldwide using the biotechnology. Biotechnology produces crops that are rich in quality while more droughts and flood tolerant as well”, he added.

The minister said, launching of a greenhouse at Dhaka University for the first time is a significant event on the occasion of the golden jubilee of independence, birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The greenhouse will contribute for the preliminary research on development of climate tolerant and disease resistant crops by applying biotechnology, Shahab Uddin explained, adding that, all the necessary features for crop production including temperature, humidity and light can be controlled inside the greenhouses.

“In the controlled environment of the greenhouse, any seedling can be produced at any time of the year, without waiting for specific seasons, which is vital for crop innovations through biotechnology”, he said.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman presided over the event where pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Prof Muhammad Samad, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Prof ASM Maksud Kamal, Project Director and Vice Chancellor of Jagannath University Professor Md Imdadul Haque, Managing Director of Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Md Rezaul Haque and Dean of Biology Faculty Prof Mihir Lal Saha were present as special guests.