Farmers' living standard not improving due to lack of fair prices’
Although we have succeeded in many cases, there is still malnutrition in the country and it has increased during the pandemic
The quality of life of farmers is not improving due to the lack of fair price of agricultural products.
Secretary to Ministry of Food Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum made the observation while addressing a webinar titled 'National Youth Conference on Right to Food-2020' as the special guest on Thursday afternoon.
"Our farmers are falling below the poverty line because they do not get a fair price for their produce," she said, adding the government is working to ensure fair prices for agricultural products. We need everyone's cooperation for this.
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Highlighting the various achievements of the country, the secretary said, "Although we have succeeded in many cases, there is still malnutrition in the country and it has increased during the pandemic."
Citing different success stories of the country, the food secretary said, "Although we achieved our goals in different sectors, the country's people are still suffering from malnutrition."
"According to a recent survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the income of the country's population has declined by 20.41% in during corona pandemic. As a result, malnutrition has also increased," she added.
However, the food secretary mentioned that food security is given priority in any policy and plan of the government.
She said, "The government is giving various types of subsidies to agriculture to increase food production. It is giving 70% subsidy to purchasing agricultural machinery in the Haor area."
Mentioning that 50 lakh families are getting rice at a subsidised price of Tk10 per kg, the secretary said, "Seven lakh families have been removed from the list while same number of families has been added."
"At the government, private and NGO levels of the country, everyone has come forward to facilitate agriculture. Our production targets have not been reduced due to natural disasters. We are working in various ways to increase agricultural production. We are working to improve nutrition and safe food. "
"The development of the country does not mean construction of roads and infrastructure only, it means development in agriculture, health and nutrition," she also said.
The webinar was jointly organised by Food Security Network (FSN) and Dhrubatara Youth Development Foundation (DYDF). The meeting was presided over by FSN vice-president Rezaul Karim Siddique while Arko Chakraborty, executive director of DYDF, conducted the programme.
Speakers from different parts of the country spoke about enacting food security laws, ensuring food security as well as nutritious food security, enacting legislation with special emphasis on coastal areas, enacting laws on climate change and benefiting farmers, ensuring food security for those living below the poverty line. Raises demands.
It also submitted a declaration to the government through the Food Security Network (Khani) and Dhrubatara Youth Development Foundation (DYDF) conference.
