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BADC activities curtailed under donors’ pressure

Matia tells parliament

UNB, Sangsad Rhaban
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday told lawmakers that the activities of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) have been significantly curtailed due to pressures from the donors.
Such disclosure from none other than the minister and veteran politician only would give credence to wild criticisms that donors-the funding agencies now euphemistically called development partners sometimes give wrong prescriptions for the client countries' socio-economic health.
“BADC has not been strengthened in the past due to mentality to bow down to the donors," the former fiery student leader, Matia, told the House in reply to a supplementary question from Awami League member Abdul Mannan.
Admitting that the BADC might have errors, the outspoken minister said it is not right 'to cut the head to heal the
headache.'
Matia said more money is needed to strengthen the BADC, especially for its seed-related activities, and urged the finance minister to consider allocating adequate money for this purpose.
Attaching importance to private initiatives relating to seeds, she, however, said the government would not allow the private initiators to profiteer and supply contaminated seeds. “The government will have the intervening power.”
Responding to another supplementary from AL member Moslem Uddin, the agriculture minister admitted that there is existence of contaminated fertilisers in the country and the government is trying to address the problem.
Replying to a supplementary from AL member Atiur Rahman Atiq, she said the harvest outlook of Boro is good and assured that the government would ensure price support for the farmers.
To a supplementary from treasury bench member ABM
Anwarul Haque, Matia said the previous BNP-Jamaat government did not believe in taking care of agriculture. "Import and take commission” was their motto in this regard, she quipped.
About the immediate-past caretaker government, she said. "The caretaker government did not have any accountability whatsoever.”
Matia told the questioner that subject to availability of a list the government would certainly consider helping farmers affected by river erosion.
Replying to a question from AL member A K M Rahmatullah, she told the House that the food demand in the country for 2008-2009 fiscal year stands at about 2.64 crore tonnes.
She said the neat production of food crops in 2007-2008 was 2.62 crore tonnes.
Matia said the government has undertaken various steps to make the country selfsufficientinfood.