Farmers get low prices of products, admits Saifur
Unb, Dhaka
Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday admitted that the country's farmers are getting lower prices of their farm products compared to the selling prices in urban areas and that is the common phenomenon worldwide."This is quite normal that the prices of farm products would be higher in urban areas than in rural areas. It's the normal phenomenon worldwide," he said addressing the inaugural session of a 3-day National Seed Conference and Fair-2006 at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center. The finance minister said as per the standard system, farmers should get 40-45 per cent of the total selling prices of farm products in urban areas. In the USA, Saifur said, farmers get 45 percent of the total prices for their produces. He, however, said the farmers in Bangladesh these days get better prices for their produces and they are increasingly willing to produce more. The minister criticised the urban people for their all-consuming attitude. "They're getting everything, especially the agricultural products, almost free. We've to be honest and sincere to give better prices to the farmers for their produces as farm products are the base of rural livelihood," he said. Saifur emphasised the optimum use of arable lands as more and more lands are being occupied for the construction of roads, homes and other non-productive activities, and asked the Ministry of Agriculture to take initiatives for the formulation of a policy in this regard. "Setting up of factories must be vertical instead of horizontal ones," he added. Terming agriculture and rural development as cornerstone of Bangladesh's progress, he said the productivity of land should be increased. He urged the Agriculture Ministry and its concerned departments to increase their supports to the farmers to cope with the fast-changing situation in agriculture. Saifur also made an assurance that the projects of the Agriculture Ministry would be approved as quickly as possible for the welfare of the country and the people. Speaking as special guest, Agriculture Minister MK Anwar gave a resume of various development programmes of the present government, particularly those being implemented under his ministry. East West Seed Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo delivered his welcome address while Director General of the Seed Wing of Agriculture Ministry Anwar Farooq presented the keynote paper at the inaugural seminar. Later, the finance minister formally inaugurated the National Seed Conference and Fair-2006 by cutting a ribbon.
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