BSS-36 Matia for using bio-pesticides to ensure safe food

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ZCZC

BSS-36

BIO-PESTICIDE

Matia for using bio-pesticides to ensure safe food

DHAKA, May 29, 2018 (BSS) – Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury
today stressed the need for using bio-pesticide through reducing dependency
on different chemical pesticides in agricultural production to ensure safe
food and nutrition.

“We should give emphasis on the usage of bio-pesticides instead of
spraying different types of chemical pesticides,” said the minister while
addressing a discussion on “Regional training programme on integrated Pest
Management (IPM) in SAARC Member States” at ministry conference room here.

The minister said the random use of toxic synthetic chemical pesticide in
the country before the period of 2008 had increased resulting in production
cost as well as cost of foods.

But the present government has taken various initiatives to develop
integrated pest management (IPM) technology in order to reduce dependency on
the chemical pesticides for pest management since 2009, she added.

Even the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) has already
developed different bio-pest management strategies for controling various
pesticides of the crops, the minister added.

Matia told the discussion that Bangladesh has achieved tremendous
success in achieving food autarky despite the shrinking of the arable land.
In 2015-16, country’s maize production has reached to 2.76 trillion tonnes.

The potato production has increased 3.6 times more during last 40 years
since our independence between 1971 and 2011, said the minister, adding that
the vegetable production has also increased 7.9 times higher between 1971 and
2013.

BSS/PR/OG/RY/1838 hrs