An AIP (Agricultural Important Person) award, similar to the CIP, is coming for successful farmers and good producers, Agriculture Minister Md Abdur Razzaque has said.

The minister told journalists this on Thursday after a courtesy meeting at the Secretariat with Kosovo's ambassador to Bangladesh, Gunar Uriya.

"The Cabinet Division has approved the proposal to give successful farmers and good producers an AIP award like the CIP," the minister said. "AIP award winners will get facilities like those of the CIP. Applications for the award will be invited from successful farmers and good producers very soon."

Answering a question, he said: "Although imports of some food products from certain countries have stopped because of the coronavirus, there will be no food shortage in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's biggest import is edible oil, most of which comes from Malaysia, and the coronavirus is unlikely to affect it."

At the meeting with the Kosovo ambassador, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in agriculture, livestock and dairy.

The ambassador expressed interest in signing a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh on mutual cooperation in agriculture and in importing winter vegetables from Bangladesh. He also sought Bangladesh's help in developing Kosovo's poultry and dairy industries, which were destroyed during the war.

"Bangladesh's farm sector was once not very productive," the agriculture minister said. "Thanks to the many initiatives of the present government under the leadership of the prime minister and incentives for the farm sector, agriculture has achieved remarkable success. Kosovo can make use of Bangladesh's experience, and there is much scope for the two countries to work together."

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