RANGPUR, Apr 25, 2019 (BSS) – Doctors and nutritionists at a discussion here today urged people to keep the seasonal fruits their everyday diet to fulfill nutritional demand in the body.
Taking seasonal fruits in the everyday dietary would help building a healthier nation and achieving the sustainable development goal of ensuring nutritional food for everybody by 2030, they said.
The Civil Surgeon Office organised the discussion on the occasion of observance of the National Nutrition Week- 2019 at Sadar Hospital conference room here on Wednesday.
On the occasion an exhibition followed by counseling on maternal nutrition was also held aimed at creating public awareness to ensure nutrition of common people.
Civil Surgeon Dr Abu Md. Zakirul Islam presided over the function while Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dr Md. Sarwarul Haque was present as chief guest.
Additional Deputy Director (Horticulture) of the DAE Reaz Uddin Rangpur Metropolitan Agriculture Officer Amina Khatun also addressed the function.
Dr Kaniz Sabiha discussed the importance of increasing production and consumption of seasonal fruits to meet their nutritional demand.
Nutrition Specialist Dr AFM Mahbubul Alam said consumption of seasonal fruits by common people of all ages marked increase in last ten years.
Agriculturist Md. Reaz Uddin said farmers produced over 4.50-lakh tonnes of fruits worth Taka 1,227 crore during the 2017-2018 fiscal year in five districts of Rangpur.
Around 41,500 farmers have achieved self-reliance through fruit cultivation that has become a profitable agricultural venture, he said.
The Civil Surgeon said the extent of malnutrition related diseases significantly reduced following improvement of nutritional status of common people.