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More help for farmers

Pledges govt as food policy launched

Staff Correspondent
The National Food Policy Plan of Action 2008-2015 was launched yestenday with die objective of ensuring food for all by 2015, specially focussing on food security of the poor and nutrition ofwomen and children.
The present government views access to food as people's right, and will do everything necessary to establish this right, Agriculture Minister Maria Chowdhury said while launching thepolicy.
"Increasing food production and purchasing power of people are the most important tasks to ensure everybody’s access to
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food. We are already providing subsidies to this end. and will do so in the next budget, if neces-sary," she said at the launching ceremony held at Bangladesh -China Friendship Conference Centre in thecapital.
Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) prepared the policy with support from the National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme funded by the USAID, European Commission (EC and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
In the next budget, the government will provide more assistance to farmers for quality seeds, fuel and irrigation, Maria Chowdhury said.
The minister sought assistance from development pan-ners to boost agricultural production. She regretted that sometimes conditions are imposed regarding food stock and subsidies, and said these should go.
Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque said the government will expand safety net programmes so that every citizen of the country gets food.
Inadequate storage capacity has been a major hindrance to raising government food stock
to have an impact on the market, which is needed to ensure fair prices for farmers, he said.
Three more silos will be set up to increase food storage capacity by three lakh tonnes, he mentioned.
The minister said raising domestic production of food is much more important than importing food in this era of trade restrictions.
"Agriculture is the backbone and springboard for the development of economy of the country," said FAO Representative Ad Spijkers. More investment and expansion of technology' are imperative for development, he added.
Re-excavation of the Gorai . rivenfeat can augment, , turid production in the south and south-western districts is of utmost importance, he said.
US Ambassador lames F Moriarty, EC Ambassador Dr Stefan Frowein, FPMU Director General Ruhul Amin and Research Director Ruhul Amin Talukder also spoke at the programme chaired by Food and Disaster Management Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman.