High wheat output for food security aimed

With invention of Blast disease resistant high yielding varieties, Bangladesh mulls harvesting of wheat in large areas eyeing at manifold production increase in order to attain food security.

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak said this while inaugurating a four-day “Agricultural Technology Exhibition Fair-2021” that started on Monday on the premises of the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute in Dinajpur's Nashipur .

Speaking at the programmes, the minister said the demand for wheat in Bangladesh is increasing day by day. But as the climate of Bangladesh is not very favorable for wheat cultivation, it is not possible to produce the crop in accordance to demand.

He also said, “Many varieties of wheat were popular in the country earlier but they were easily affected by various diseases including Blast." 

Before the inauguration ceremony, he visited the research field and inaugurated “Bangabandhu Corner” to marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

The minister also attended an views exchange meeting with officials at the workshop where he directed all concerned to come up with new varieties and suitable technologies of wheat and maize to meet the future challenges including climate change and bring them to the doorsteps of the farmers.

Whip of Jatiya Sangsad Iqbalur Rahim, MP, was also present on the occasion as special guest. Among others, Md Mesbahul Islam, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture; Md Israil Hossain, Director General of Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI); Dr Amitabh Sarker, BADC chairman; Kamala Ranjan Das, Additional Secretary (Research Division), Ministry of Agriculture were also present on the programme.