A delegation led by Dr Jiaoqun Shi, representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), met agriculture adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury at his office in the Secretariat in Dhaka.

The meeting on Wednesday discussed crop losses in the country's recent floods, technical and advisory support for agricultural development, and diversifying exports of farm products, among other issues.

The adviser said FAO is helping Bangladesh in many areas and he hoped that support would continue. Noting heavy damage to agriculture in 11 of the 23 districts hit by the recent floods, he said FAO's help was needed for post-flood agricultural rehabilitation.

The FAO representative said FAO has always worked as a partner in developing Bangladesh's agriculture sector and is always ready to provide seed, farm technology, and technical and advisory support.

When the representative expressed interest in regularly exchanging agricultural sector data with FAO, the adviser said full cooperation would always be given.

Referring to her organisation's One Country One Product (OCEP) programme, which supports member countries in exporting one farm product, crop or fruit, the FAO representative expressed interest in helping Bangladesh export its seasonal fruit, mango.

As the FAO delegation also expressed interest in working to expand and diversify exports of other seasonal fruits and crops produced in Bangladesh, the agriculture adviser said: "Besides mango, we also produce plenty of jackfruit; jackfruit can also be kept among export priorities." He said the ministry would give the utmost cooperation on farm exports.

Senior officials of the agriculture ministry and FAO representatives were present at the meeting.

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