Farmers' budget key to dev
Shykh Seraj is a Media and Agriculture Development Activist. He is an Ashoka Fellow and recipient of Ekushey Padak, FAO A.H. Boerma Award and many other prestigious accolades. At Channel i, he is Director and Head of News. He is also Director and Host of the popular agro-documentary, “Hridoye Mati O Manush”.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith is going to present the national budget today and most probably the size of the budget is going to be Tk 4 lakh crore, 26 percent bigger than the past fiscal year's. We know budget is part of the development process of a state. And we have seen the finance minister discuss with different professional groups. The agriculture sector always had a great impact on the national budget but in earlier times, the farmers hardly knew what their role was in this area.
Then came the idea of involving farmers with the national budget process through a pre-budget discussion event called Krishi Budget Krishoker Budget (KBKB) since 2005. Back then, it was an experimental idea how farmers can understand the real meaning of the national budget and how they have influenced the process -- what they need for farming, what they need to earn a little more and produce a little more with great supply of agricultural inputs and market facility. These were all the concerns of farmers and they have gradually raised their voices in this pre-budget discussion.
Dear readers, you may have watched KBKB on Channel i where farmers of different classes, ministers, administrative officers, researchers, academicians, intellectuals and economists take part. The finance minister has been taking part in this event for the past seven years and he has closely heard farmers' demands. It's been our privilege that we could send farmers' recommendations to the finance minister before the budget. It's been thirteen years that farmers' voices are reaching the policymakers and the government is acting in response to the farmers' demands. Through KBKB, more than 500 thousand farmers could send their messages to the government before the budget. That is how media could empower people for their demands in the most democratic manner.
The government's policy and planning for the farmers has changed a lot and it has become more progressive to give farmers an extra support. I believe this year's budget will reflect the same. A farmer-friendly budget is what I along with 110 million farmers are looking forward to. To the best of my knowledge, awareness among farmers about the national budget has increased. The government has gone through farmers' recommendations we submitted and I have noticed significant change in action for development of the farmers.
The government has successfully reached the Millennium Development Goals and is moving towards Sustainable Development Goals.
Bangladesh will hopefully reach success in every sectors but the primary focus should be to develop the grassroots people, mostly farmers and those hailing from the rural areas.
There should be more transparency in procuring rice directly from farmers. It has been the tradition so far that the mill-owners are the profit makers at the end. The government has to take a strong step and assist the real farmers. As natural disasters are more regular nowadays in Bangladesh, we should plan ahead and be climate smart. We need big ideas that can change the whole perspectives and intelligent investments for farming in these dire climatic situations. More importantly, the government should plan to incorporate more youths in farming to bring out the best from IoT (Internet of Things) in farming. Crop insurance, through our restless campaign, is coming to some sort of a shape and this has to be implemented in a full-fledged manner.
The government needs to increase budget for social safety net programmes. The poor people should have more access to food. The elderly farmers who can't work any longer on fields should get pension. With the hope of the finance minister, I hope that Bangladesh will become a welfare state in seven to eight years. Since most of our people live in rural areas, our planning and policy must focus more on the rural Bangladesh and this should be embedded holistically in the strategy plans.
The government spends a lot to ensure that farmers get information for their queries, however it's sad they don't get it the way it should have been. Union Digital Centres should be equipped with more skilled people. If this happens early, the marginal people will become smarter and stronger with the most important information which will develop them as well as the state faster.
Agricultural technology is where we need more attention from the government. There are up-to-date technologies around the world which are making the lives of the farmers easy and productive. However, we need proper knowledge first to bring these technologies and then apply those accordingly. First of all, the technologies have to be cost effective.
These are the areas, in brief, according to my observation, where the government should concentrate more for the farming sector. We have submitted elaborate recommendations to the finance minister. And I believe many of the recommendations will be considered and accepted and finally reflected in the national budget, like every year.
Comments