Amin Ur Rashid for making agriculture export-oriented thru safe food production

Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid today (4 June) emphasised the need to ensure safe food production and improve the quality to tap into the vast global market. 

"Our primary objective is to make the agricultural sector export-oriented. If we can achieve this, we will be able to permanently strengthen the country's economy," the minister said.

He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the 90th (special) meeting of the Pesticide Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), held at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in Farmgate here.

Highlighting that nearly 75 percent of the country's population depends on agriculture, the minister said several countries, including Japan, have expressed interest in importing agricultural products, especially vegetables, from Bangladesh. However, he pointed out that international food safety standards remain the primary challenge.

Expressing concern over the current pesticide approval and evaluation system, the minister urged the technical committee to adopt comprehensive testing methods.
"Pesticide testing should not merely focus on whether a chemical kills pests. Before granting approval, we must strictly evaluate its residual effects on human health, soil quality, and the environment," he said.

The minister stressed the importance of strengthening the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority to make it an internationally recognised body.

"This authority will eventually serve as the backbone of our agricultural export trade," he added.

He urged the committee members and agricultural experts to formulate effective, long-term policies to regulate the import of pesticide raw materials, monitor distribution channels, and ensure strict quality control at the field level.

The minister assured that the government is fully prepared to implement the realistic recommendations and policy guidelines provided by the experts to ensure safe food for both domestic consumers and the international market.

Guest of honour of the meeting and Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Rafiqul I Mohamed said, "We must ensure that the policies and regulations we formulate for pesticides are realistic and strictly enforceable, rather than just remaining as 'paper laws' that sound good but fail on the ground."

"The unregulated and excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is directly contributing to the alarming rise of chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney diseases, and diabetes," he added. 

He said, while the country is spending massive amounts of money on medical treatments and pharmaceuticals, we are failing to address the root cause of these health hazards, which is chemical contamination in our food chain."

He also said due to toxic chemical runoff from agricultural lands, the water bodies and rivers are being destroyed. Rivers that once thrived with aquatic life are now completely devoid of fish, and the water of major rivers like the Buriganga has become highly toxic.

"Our primary failure lies in the lack of field-level implementation, inspection, and monitoring. We must strengthen our monitoring mechanisms so that farmers are protected, and the public is saved from the devastating health impacts of toxic chemicals," he added. 

Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Md. Abdus Salam presided over the programme. Among others, university teachers, researchers, and government officials were present at the meeting.