DHAKA, Apr 13, 2022 (BSS) – Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim today underscored the need for raising farm production in an attempt to curb foreign dependency.

“Food shortage has been emerged in various places across the world due to the pandemic . So we have to produce adequate food as the country could become  self reliant in food production,” he said.

The minister said this while connecting virtually to inaugural function of distribution agricultural inputs from his secretariat office here under agricultural rehabilitation programme of 2021-22 fiscal years  at Nazirupr in Pirojpur.

Terming the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a farmers friendly government, the minister said “the government has taken a decision to disburse fertilizer among the farmers by giving as subsidy of an amount of Taka 30,000 crore.”

None of the governments has taken this decision in the past, he told the function jointly organized by Nazirpur Upazila administration and Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Nazirpur.

“Sheikh Hasina herself believes that Bangladesh could be survived, if the farmers could survive”, he said, adding that the farmers could be survived if all the agricultural inputs are ensured.

Despite various adverse situation prevails throughout the world, the government has kept the decision of fertilizer import uninterrupted considering that the farmers would not hurt anyhow, he added.

“The government will provide all the necessary incentives and inputs for the interest of the growers,” Rezaul told the virtual function.

Chaired by Nazirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer  Sheikh Abdullah Shadid, the programme also was attended, among others, by Nazirpur Upazila Chairman Amulaj Ranjan Halder, Nazirpur Upazila Agriculture Officer Digbijoy Hajra, Pirojpur District council member Sultan Mahmud Khan, Nazirpur Upazila Council vice chairman Mostafizur Rahman Ranju, women vice chairman Shahriar Ferdous Runa and upzila press club president Siddiqur Rahman Tuhin.