Dhaka, July 16 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) to help set up a fish preservation and processing plant in Bangladesh’s Haor areas.
 
She sought the cooperation when Ifad President Kanayo F Nwanze met her at her official residence Ganobhaban.
 
PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Bijan Lal Dev briefed reporters after the meeting.
 
Sheikh Hasina said her government has given emphasis on crop diversification and research works for boosting food production.
 
In this connection, she said Bangladesh has invented flood, drought and salinity-tolerant varieties of paddy which will help give a boost to the country’s food production.
 
Hasina said there has been a marked rise in the country’s fish and poultry production apart from overall food production in the last couple of years.
 
The Prime Minister extended thanks to Ifad for its support to Bangladesh, especially in agriculture and rural development.
 
The Ifad President highly appreciated Bangladesh’s stunning success in the field of agriculture as well as alleviating poverty and reducing child and maternal mortality rates.
 
He said Ifad has undertaken six projects and would take a six-year project in Bangladesh in line with the goals of the sixth five-year plan and Vision 2021 of the government.
 
He also said his organisation will also undertake some climate change adaptation programmes where Bangladesh would be given top priority.
 
Later, Omar Ishraq and Milind Shah, Managing Director and Vice President of South Asia India Medtronic Private Ltd met the Prime Minister.
 
Ambassador At-Large M Ziauddin and Special Assistant to the PM Abdus Sobhan Golap were present on both the occasions.