Amir Khasru Urges Smart Farming, Hydroponics Mapping and Reduced Food Waste

BNP Standing Committee member and former minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has called for government investment in hydroponics mapping to enable innovative multi-layer water-based farming, along with strong emphasis on developing organic fertilizer technologies.

He also stressed the need for boosting exports by reducing the 40 percent food waste occurring in processing and cold-chain management, and urged the government to promote smart agriculture through public–private partnerships, focusing on contributions to GDP.

Khasru said that alongside policy support, there is no alternative to providing farmers with training, adding:
“All stakeholders must form a coalition with a holistic approach. During multi-layer fish farming and other aquatic cultivation, we can also focus on producing solar power.”

He made these remarks as the chief guest at a seminar on “Political Commitment in Agriculture and Rural Economy” on the third day of a four-day international conference on Political Commitment in Agriculture and Food, held at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday, 29 November.

Khasru said there is no need to fix market prices to protect farmers. Instead, farmers should be given technological and credit support, along with training on value addition.

Reflecting on his party’s time in government, he remarked,
“We performed well in agriculture, but there was no revolution. If we cannot reduce dependence on food imports, we will become victims of global politics. It is foolish to suppress farmers’ prices. When prices are cut, they rise again within minutes.”

The seminar, organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists Forum (BAJF), was presided over by its President Sahnawer Saeed Shahin. Ahsas Khan Chowdhury, Chairman and CEO of RFL, also spoke.

The session was moderated by BAJF General Secretary Abu Khaled.

DBTech/IH/OR