Photo : BSS

RAJSHAHI, June 26, 2025 (BSS)- Experts at a workshop here today unequivocally called for boosting production of safe and nutritious food for  building a healthy nation.

All the field level officers of agriculture and its line departments should come forward and work together to attain the cherished goal.

Administrative officials and agricultural experts came up with the observation while addressing a regional workshop 2025 with participation of district and upazila level officials representing 15 agricultural departments. 

Rajshahi regional office of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) organized the workshop at the conference hall of Primary Teachers Institute.
The "Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience in Bangladesh (PARTNER)" supported the workshop.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division Khondoker Azim Ahmed addressed the workshop as chief guest, while DAE Additional Director Dr Azizur Rahman was in the chair.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Dipanker Biswas, PARTNER Program Coordinator (PC) Abul Kalam Azad and its Additional Coordinator Gour Gobinda Das and Regional Seed Certification Officer Dr Motaleb Hossain also spoke.

The DAE PARTNER project is being implemented in 32 upazilas under Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Natore districts like many other parts of the country.

It aims to enhance agricultural and rural transformation by promoting diversification, food safety, entrepreneurship, and resilience within the agri-food value chains. 

Besides, it focuses on sustainable and nutritious food production, increased entrepreneurship and access to services, and modernizing institutions and policies for agricultural transformation.

In the region, 105 demonstrations on good agricultural practice (GAP) were achieved side by side with arranging 491 field schools to ensure good agricultural practices by creating agricultural entrepreneurs.

Apart from this, 604 demonstrations were organized on community seed production, AWD irrigation, and validation trial, using bio-pesticide in paddy, wheat, maize, mustard, bean and lentil.

AWD is a water-saving irrigation technique primarily used in rice cultivation to reduce water consumption without negatively impacting yield.

It involves periodically draining the flooded rice field and allowing it to dry out before re-flooding, creating a cycle of wet and dry periods.

 Many of the grassroots farmers were given training on good agricultural practice in 328 batches so that they can produce high yielding and high-valued crops through using GAP.

In his remarks, Commissioner Azim Ahmed called for bringing mango processing under the PARTNER project so that the mango growers farmers can get the expected price of their productions.

He urged all the implementing agencies of the project to discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and honesty so that the project is implemented successfully and the farmers can derive total benefits of the project.

PC Abul Kalam Azad said: "Food security has been ensured as there is a need for safe food production now in our country." 
 
"We are trying to maintain the nutritional quality of the food produced to create a talented nation and utilize the potential of marketing through commercialization," the Partner's official added. 
 
"For this purpose, we are organizing by forming teams at the farmer level and providing them with training," he continued. 
 
Through the partner project, three lakh hectares of cultivated land in the country will be brought under good agricultural practices in five years and new varieties will be established in two lakh hectares of paddy land.
 
Except paddy, other grains will be brought under the ambit of two lakh hectares of land and smart agricultural cards will be provided to two crore 87 lakh farmers of the country.
 
Besides, development of the supply chain of produced agricultural products, establishment of six labs for the normal health protection of crops, including soil, water and air and creating a database through this project
Dr Azizur Rahman said that initiatives have already been taken to register cooperative departments by forming partner project teams.