Innovate climate-tolerant crops
President Abdul Hamid yesterday called upon agriculture scientists and researchers to innovate climate-tolerant varieties of crops, newer technologies and strategies to protect agriculture from the adverse impacts of climate change.
“The increasing natural disasters induced by climate change are putting the country's agriculture sector at risk day by day. Innovation of knowledge-based sustainable agriculture technology and its application at field-level are urgent now to address this challenge,” he said.
The president was addressing the 3rd convocation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) on its campus in Gazipur.
A total of 1,313 students were conferred degrees at the convocation while 11 students got gold medals for their outstanding academic performance.
Hamid said scientists and researchers must invent newer strategies through biotechnology or genetic engineering aiming to cope with climate change-induced impacts like drought and flood.
Asking all to stand beside farmers to encourage them to boost agricultural produce as well as ensure fair prices of their crops and seasonal fruits, including potato, mango and tomato, Hamid said the influence of middlemen must be checked in marketing of agricultural products and at consumer level.
Hamid, also the chancellor of the university, asked the teachers and the authorities of agricultural universities to take pragmatic steps to modernise the academic curriculum for the development of agriculture sector.
University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan, BSMRAU Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman slso spoke.
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