Agri minister pledges increased subsidy

Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque yesterday promised to increase subsidy for the agriculture sector, and reiterating his call to meet the challenge of increasing safe food production by taking newly-developed rice varieties and associated technologies to farmers' doorstep.

While inaugurating the Annual Research Review Workshop 2017-18 of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Gazipur, he asked scientists at the institute to develop more rice varieties and appropriate technologies that can help crops survive adverse environmental effects such as salinity, drought, cold, flood and water resurge. 

Md Nasiruzzaman, secretary to the agriculture ministry, presided over the inaugural session while Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation Md Fazle Wahed Kondker, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Dr Md Kabir Ikramul Haque and Director General of Department of Agricultural Extension Mir Nurul Alam joined the programme as discussants. BRRI Director General Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir delivered the welcome address while BRRI Director Dr Md Ansar Ali delivered vote of thanks. BRRI Director (Research) Dr Tamal Lata Aditya presented the keynote paper of the workshop.

Experts and officials from different government and non-government organisations along with university students and farmers' representatives attended the workshop, the technical sessions of which will continue for the next five days.