Speaking at the concluding session of a three-day seminar on 'Agri-Invest 2003, Bangladesh', they said farmers should not get themselves confined to sustenance farming.

They said crop production apart farmers and entrepreneurs should spread agri-production to fisheries, livestock, dairy, poultry, horticulture, medicinal plants for sustainable growth of the sector which accounts for 23 per cent of gross domestic products and 62 per cent of national employment.

On the sidelines of The Agri-Invest 2003 Bangladesh, the first ever agri-based exposition in the country, which concluded yesterday, a total of 12 seminars were organised at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, the venue of the event.

State Minister for Agriculture Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the entrepreneurs should utilise the incentives like easy term loan for agriculture, duty waiver in capital machinery and support for fertiliser, irrigation, seed, insecticide for rapid growth of the sector.

Chairing the concluding session of the seminar series, Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan said agri investors should utilise Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund (EEF) for expansion of business.

"Tk 100 crore in EEF remained unutilised in last financial year due to want of good project proposals from entrepreneurs," he said, urging local investors to come up with innovative ideas for agriculture growth.

The interest rate in agriculture loan will come down further by December which he said will encourage more investment in the sector.

Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, principal secretary to the prime minister, said rearing of goats can be a profitable investment which also can help reduce poverty in rural areas.

The government is offering easy term loan for goat rearing, he said calling upon private sector investors to take advantage of government incentives in agriculture.

Board of Investment (BoI) Executive Chairman Mahmudur Rahman said research, training, technology and awareness are required to improve quality of investment in agriculture.

Referring to the prime minister's declaration at the inaugural ceremony of Agri-Invest 2003 that the Ishwardi Export Processing Zone will be exclusively dedicated to agriculture industry, the BoI chief said this will open new opportunity for local and foreign entrepreneurs to invest in the key sector.