PM: Boost agri output, cut import dependence

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday directed agriculture ministry officials to take effective measures to boost domestic production of farm and food products, with a view to reducing import dependence and ensuring food security.
“We must make our agricultural sector more productive and profitable to reduce import dependence and ensure food security,” he said, addressing a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture’s conference room in the secretariat. Earlier, the prime minister met senior ministry officials to review the sector’s overall situation, ongoing activities and plans to boost production.
Data presented at the meeting showed mustard production rising from 8.24 lakh tonnes in 2021-22 fiscal year (FY22) to  15.34 lakh tonnes in FY25, and 15.41 lakh tonnes in FY26, as part of efforts to cut edible oil imports.
Officials also outlined initiatives to expand onion production and storage, including air-flow storage technology at farmer level and wider cultivation of summer onion varieties. 
Efforts are also under way to distribute new crop varieties tolerant to salinity, drought and waterlogging, according to a press statement.
The ministry said 1,090 crop varieties have been developed through agricultural research so far, including 155 rice varieties, alongside more than 1,000 agricultural technologies.

The meeting also focused on agricultural mechanisation to raise productivity while cutting labour and costs, including domestic production of machinery such as combine harvesters, reapers and rice transplanters, to be made available to farmers at affordable prices.
Participants noted that the country’s 2,617 solar-powered irrigation systems, and further expansion of renewable energy-based irrigation, could reduce farmers’ costs and reliance on conventional fuels.
The farmer card programme, which delivers government assistance directly to farmers, also featured prominently. The ministry has set a target of bringing 4.3 million farmers under the scheme by FY27, with roughly 110,000 cards to be issued in the first phase.
The prime minister said local production must be boosted by rapidly extending research benefits, improved crop varieties, modern technology, irrigation and mechanisation to farmers, while ensuring fair prices for their produce.