South to get more agri attention

Left to right, Dhaka University Supernumerary Professor Shakhawat Ali Khan, DU Vice-Chancellor AASM Arefin Siddique, DU Professor Golam Rahman, Katalyst official Markus Kupper, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, media personality Shykh Seraj and journalist Ajay Dasgupta show copies of newly launched book titled Krishi Sangbadikota (agricultural journalism) during a ceremony at the office of Journalism Training and Research Initiative (JATRI) yesterday. Photo: STAR

The government is now paying attention to boosting agricultural production in the southern part of the country considering the possible production decline in the north, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said yesterday.
Falling groundwater level and gradual industrialisation will diminish farm potentials of the north eventually, and now “the government is laying emphasis on the southern region as a new horizon for agriculture", she told the launch of Krishi Sangbadikata, first Bangla book on agriculture journalism, in the capital.
Society for Media and Suitable Human Communication Techniques (SoMaSHTe), business development organisation Katalyst, and publishing house Chandrabaty Academy co-produced the book.
Lauding the publication of the book, Matia Chowdhury said it would help guide the new generation journalists report better on farm issues.
The minister also denounced donors' notion of subsidy cut in agriculture, saying farm subsidy helped boost Bangladesh's predominantly agro-based economy.
A little price increase in urea fertilisers and price cut in non-urea fertilisers by the government has helped farmers practice a balanced use of fertilisers and saved Tk 837 crore of subsidy this year, she added.
Dhaka University Supernumerary Professor Shakhawat Ali Khan presided over the ceremony at the office of Journalism Training and Research Initiative (JATRI), while SoMaSHTe Director Mir Masrur Zaman moderated it.
DU Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, eminent journalists Shykh Seraj and Ajay Dasgupta, DU journalism professor Golam Rahman, and Katalyst official Markus Kupper, among others, also spoke on the occasion.