Govt is focused on agriculture to tap its full potential: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government gives immense importance to the development of agriculture as it can take Bangladesh forward.

"We're giving a great importance to agriculture as our agro-based economy will take us forward," she said.

The prime minister said this in a video message broadcast by state-run Bangladesh Television marking the founding anniversary of Bangladesh Krishak League.

She said the government is extending all-out cooperation to farmers through marketing their products and their export.

"Bangladesh is an agricultural country, and agriculture is the driving force for our development."

Sheikh Hasina also said the government has given a special attention to industrialisation alongside the development of agriculture.

Hasina said the government always supported the farmers of the country. "We, especially Awami League, think it is our duty to do so," she said.

She mentioned that whenever Awami League comes to power farmers do not have to suffer. "Because we take appropriate measurers for them."

The PM said the government has introduced a system through Krishi Bank so that the sharecroppers can avail collateral-free loans.

She said the government has reduced the prices of fertiliser to Tk 12, which was Tk 90 during the BNP regime.

The prime minister also said the government has given utmost importance to research to improve crop production in Bangladesh.

She mentioned that Awami League has given importance to agricultural research since it formed government in 1996.

Hasina said now research is going on extensively to produce new varieties of crops, vegetables, fruits and food grains and the government is providing high-yielding seeds.

"As a result, the farmers can now produce more food with little labour, they can produce rice, wheat, corn and all types of crop, and we're creating a scope for marketing them," she said.

The PM said the government is providing 70% subsidy for the mechanisation of agriculture so that farmers could produce higher amount of food grains.

"We're taking steps for supplying high-yielding varieties of seeds and all agricultural materials to the farmers. We're also providing subsidy for power use by farmers in their irrigation work," she said.

Hasina said the government has taken measurers for ensuring electricity for the farmers and made solar power available or irrigation.

 She put emphasis on preservation of food by every farmer's family saying that it cannot be acceptable that those who produce food cannot feed their children. "We've taken steps in this direction too."

The prime minister said the government has taken steps to help the farmers affected by natural calamities and it is providing that assistance. 

Hasina said the farmers who will be affected by cyclone this time will also get that kind of assistance and the government is allocating a fund to that end.

The PM said the government is providing all kinds of cooperation, including soil testing, to increase production by two times to three times.

She mentioned that the government has built information centres taking advantage of Digital Bangladesh from where a farmer can receive information about crops, soil, fertiliser and pesticide.

She also said the government will provide all kinds of machine, including harvester, for making harvesting easier for farmers.