PM calls for farm revolution
Gives away nat'l agriculture awards
UNB, Joydevpur, Gazipur
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday called for creating a 'new awakening' and 'silent revolution' in agriculture with the united efforts of government, farmers and agriculturists.Addressing the Conference of Agricultural Workers 2005 on the premises of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), she said that in the modern world biotechnology, genetic engineering and geographical information-management technology have revolutionised agriculture. The PM said farming system would have to be developed, appropriate and technology-based, to cut poverty to half by 2015 as per the UN Millennium Development Goals, adding that already 700 officials and scientists have been appointed to that end. Nearly 4000 agricultural employees have so far been given promotion. The prime minister announced that from now block supervisors, the field-level agricultural employees, would be Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer (DAAO) of which she had pledged at a similar conference at the same venue last year. She informed that some 2,500 agricultural diploma-holders were given appointment as deputy assistant agriculture officers last year. "We are implementing development projects giving maximum priority to agriculture, farmers and villages," she said, describing her government's pragmatic steps and programmes aimed at bolstering agriculture in order to ensure a poverty- and hunger-free Bangladesh. Some 30 thousand male and female farm workers from across the country as well as the rank and file of the agricultural department attended the three-day conference. The theme of the conference was "Technology-based Agriculture for Poverty Reduction". Agriculture Minister MK Anwar, State Minister for Agriculture Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Fazlul Huq Milon MP, Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Dr Mohammad Nurul Alam, Director General of the BARI Abdus Sattar, block supervisor Ziaul Haider Palash and a peasants representative, Mohamamd Anwarul Huq, among others, addressed the function. Before her speech, the PM distributed National Agriculture Award 1,409 among 32 male and female farmers and agriculture officers for their outstanding contributions in various fields of agriculture. She also inaugurated a five-day-long Agriculture Technology Fair 2005 on the BARI premises and went round some stalls.
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