Agriculture and Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said agriculture will not improve unless farmers do, and the country will not improve unless agriculture does. The government is working to improve agriculture, he said.

He spoke to journalists on Tuesday after visiting the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute in Gazipur.

The adviser said the population was only 7 crore at the time of the Liberation War. The population has grown since then, but arable land has not, and this land is now producing food for more than 17 crore people. "We must remember that the agriculture sector plays the biggest role for the country. The government is working sincerely to give this sector its due," he said.

On rehabilitating farmers hit by the recent floods, the adviser said seed, seedlings and cash had been sent to farmers in flood-affected areas. Where rice had been destroyed, aman seedlings had been raised elsewhere and supplied. Aman can no longer be planted after the 22nd, so work is under way on how to grow mustard and other crops on that land.

He said this year's floods had caused a problem. Floods are harmful in every way, but their one benefit is that they bring silt. This time sand came with the silt, and because of that, groundnuts can be grown.

Asked about market syndicates, the agriculture adviser said efforts are being made to control the market. "I think the market will come to a tolerable level very soon. If there is any syndicate, the commerce ministry will break it," he said.

Answering journalists' questions about the upcoming Durga Puja, the adviser said there were no fears over the festival. "This year's puja will go very well, with no problems of any kind. We want your cooperation too. Police and Ansar members are deployed every time; this time RAB, BGB, the army, navy and air force have also been deployed," he said.

Among those present were Agriculture Secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Director General Dr Md Abdullah Yousuf Akond, Deputy Commissioner Nafisa Arefeen and Superintendent of Police Abul Kalam Azad.

During the visit, the adviser toured the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), the National Agriculture Training Academy (NATA) and the Seed Certification Agency (SCA), and exchanged views with officials and staff.

On Tuesday afternoon, the home and agriculture adviser visited the Sri Sri Kripamoyee Kali Mandir at Joydebpur Bazar in Gazipur.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.