Bangladesh urges FAO to help develop new crops to fight climate change

Bangladesh has urged the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to mobilise more resources to develop a new variety of crops and innovation of new technologies to combat the impact of climate change in the Asian and Pacific region.

The country made the call today at the ministerial session of the 36th Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific of FAO being held in Dhaka, said Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugured the two-day session earlier in the day. The four-day conference began through the secretary-level session on Tuesday.

Addressing media at a break of the session, Razzaque said they have also urged the member countries to exchange advanced knowledge and newly developed technologies among the states as part of a combined effort to ensure food security in the region.

Besides, Razzaque said they also pressed for enhancement of agriculture mechanisation, commercialisation and ago processing which are also very important for Bangladesh.

The premier also spoke about the issues in her inaugural address, he said.

"We are now giving importance to three issues and by working on these issues, we are modernising our agriculture," he said quoting the prime minister.

Razzaque said crop production, harvesting, storing, processing, marketing and after all in every strategic step, digitalisation can play a role.

The conference will end tomorrow through the adaption of policies and issues discussed in the secretary and minister-level sessions in the conference.

Representatives from 46-member countries joined the programme hosted by Bangladesh in a hybrid format.