PM urges boosting domestic farm production to reduce import dependence
Tarique Rahman calls for more research, improved varieties, mechanisation and irrigation to raise production and cut farmers' costs
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has urged the Ministry of Agriculture to reduce Bangladesh's dependence on imported agricultural and food products by increasing domestic production of items that can be produced locally.
He also called for measures to make agriculture more productive and profitable while ensuring food security.
The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Agriculture at the ministry's conference room after visiting the ministry from his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon (13 September).
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The meeting reviewed the overall situation in the agriculture sector, ongoing activities of the ministry and its future plans, according to the prime minister's Press Wing.
"To achieve this, greater emphasis should be placed on increasing domestic production by quickly taking research, improved varieties, modern technology, irrigation and mechanisation facilities to farmers," Tarique said.
He instructed officials to focus not only on increasing agricultural productivity but also on reducing farmers' production costs and ensuring fair prices for their produce.
According to a presentation by the ministry, mustard production has increased as part of efforts to reduce dependence on edible oil imports.
Mustard production rose from 824,000 metric tonnes in fiscal 2021-22 to 1.534 million tonnes in FY2024-25 and 1.541 million tonnes in FY2025-26.
The ministry also outlined measures to increase onion production and storage capacity, including introducing airflow technology for on-farm onion storage and expanding summer onion varieties.
It is also working to expand climate-resilient crop varieties that can withstand salinity, drought and waterlogging, the meeting was told.
On agricultural research, the ministry said 1,090 crop varieties had been developed, including 155 rice varieties. More than 1,000 agricultural technologies have also been developed, according to the presentation.
The meeting placed emphasis on agricultural mechanisation to reduce labour and production costs while increasing productivity.
The government plans to increase the development and production of locally made agricultural machinery and make equipment such as combine harvesters, reapers and rice transplanters available to farmers at affordable prices.
The ministry also presented plans to expand the use of solar power in agriculture.
There are currently 2,617 solar irrigation systems in Bangladesh. Expanding renewable energy-based irrigation could reduce farmers' irrigation costs and dependence on conventional fuels, officials said.
The meeting also discussed the Farmer Card programme, which aims to deliver government support directly to farmers.
The agriculture ministry has set a target of bringing 4.3 million farmers under the programme in FY2026-27.
It is preparing to distribute cards to around 110,000 farmers in the first phase, according to the meeting.
Agricultural mechanisation, canal excavation, tree plantation, and the storage and marketing of agricultural products were also discussed.
