Razzaque stresses innovating crops of better nutritional value
Dhaka, May 8 (UNB) - Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Tuesday urged researchers to innovate crops that will have better nutritional value.
“Despite availability of food, around 31 percent of children are suffering from malnutrition. Our foods are not nutritionally balanced,” he told a seminar at Sonargaon Hotel in the city in the morning.
The Promoting Democratic Institutions and Practice (PRODIP) Programme, a USAID and UKAid-funded programme, organised the seminar, titled ‘Enhancing Access to Food Security’.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry Agriculture Krishibid Shawkat Momen Shahjahan, MP, chairman of Law and Justice Department at Southeast University Prof M Assaduzzaman, Dr Akhter Ahmed of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and chief of party, PRODIP, Russell Pepe, among others, spoke at the seminar.
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Razzaque said a large number of people have been living under the poverty line and struggling against hunger although 40 years passed since the country achieved its independence.
He said Bangladesh historically a hunger-prone country, but it has achieved a big progress in food grain production in the last few decades to ensure food security of its people.
About the country’s food grain reserve, the Food Minister said a record amount of food grains -- 12.5 lakh metric tonnes -- is now in stock in government warehouses. “We also see a bumper rice production in this boro season. If the farmers can harvest it without any damage, there will be surplus food in the country.”
He said 34-35 children in 1,000 die form malnutrition in the country, which is not acceptable. “It’ll be a great challenge for us to address the malnutrition problem.”
Dr Razzaque strongly criticised the developed countries for not enhancing their support to the developing counties for the development of their agricultural research.
“The developed countries do not keep their pledges to help the poor counties to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” he alleged.
“Despite availability of food, around 31 percent of children are suffering from malnutrition. Our foods are not nutritionally balanced,” he told a seminar at Sonargaon Hotel in the city in the morning.
The Promoting Democratic Institutions and Practice (PRODIP) Programme, a USAID and UKAid-funded programme, organised the seminar, titled ‘Enhancing Access to Food Security’.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry Agriculture Krishibid Shawkat Momen Shahjahan, MP, chairman of Law and Justice Department at Southeast University Prof M Assaduzzaman, Dr Akhter Ahmed of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and chief of party, PRODIP, Russell Pepe, among others, spoke at the seminar.
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Razzaque said a large number of people have been living under the poverty line and struggling against hunger although 40 years passed since the country achieved its independence.
He said Bangladesh historically a hunger-prone country, but it has achieved a big progress in food grain production in the last few decades to ensure food security of its people.
About the country’s food grain reserve, the Food Minister said a record amount of food grains -- 12.5 lakh metric tonnes -- is now in stock in government warehouses. “We also see a bumper rice production in this boro season. If the farmers can harvest it without any damage, there will be surplus food in the country.”
He said 34-35 children in 1,000 die form malnutrition in the country, which is not acceptable. “It’ll be a great challenge for us to address the malnutrition problem.”
Dr Razzaque strongly criticised the developed countries for not enhancing their support to the developing counties for the development of their agricultural research.
“The developed countries do not keep their pledges to help the poor counties to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” he alleged.
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