"Cost of rice production in Bangladesh is the highest in the world excepting for a few developed countries where farmers are provided with a high-level of subsidies. But we cannot raise the rice price upsetting the parity with rice prices in the neighbouring countries. You'll see measures favouring farmers in the next budget so that production costs could be lowered," the minister said.

He was inaugurating a two-day workshop on Uptake Methods and Pathways at the auditorium of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).

The Poverty Elimination Through Rice Research Assistance (PETRRA) project of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the DAE organised the workshop to showcase and disseminate ideas on as many as 20 innovative agricultural extension methods including 'Rice Seed Network,' 'Rice Knowledge Bank,' and 'Mobile Pump.'

Funded by the British Department for International Development (DFID), PETRRA project, launched in 1999 and scheduled to be wound up this June, is the biggest-ever donor-aided rice research programme in Bangladesh.

Head of the Social Science Division of the IRRI Dr Mahabub Hossain, IRRI Representative to Bangladesh and PETRRA Project Manager Dr Noel P Magor and Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Dr Mahiul Haque also spoke at the opening session chaired by the DAE Director General Md Tariq Hassan.

The agriculture minister said only 2.47 percent of the country's annual development budget is being channelled to agriculture compared to 22 percent in 1979.

Anwar blamed unbalanced application of chemical fertilisers for degrading soil fertility. He noted that previously there was a price parity among urea, TSP (triple super phosphate) and MP (murate of potash) but now the prices of TSP and MP have doubled compared to urea, which acts as a disincentive to applying balanced doses of fertilisers.

Anwar also expressed concern at the fast pace of cropland depletion and said rice is grown on 75 percent of arable land, which does not augur well for other crops. Newer technologies are required so that per unit productivity sees a phenomenal growth. The minister also stressed bridging the wide gap between rice yields at breeder's plots and farmers' fields.

Dr Mahabub touched on the future challenge before Bangladesh's agriculture where with the increase of population by 20 lakh every year an additional five lakh tonnes of rice is required.

"The challenge gets bigger when we see as our land shrinking," said Hossain.

Dr Magor gave an overview of the PETRRA project and said it had commissioned 45 sub-projects in last four years with over 47 partner agencies representing national, international and private organisations, universities and NGOs.

The representatives from BRRI and other partner agencies of IRRI's PETRRA project presented overviews on issues ranging from quality seed network to rice knowledge bank to aromatic rice to rice-duck farming system in the following two working sessions chaired by Dr Magor and BRRI Research Director Dr AR Gomosta.