BSS: Agriculture experts have favoured for adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) technologies and mechanisation of agriculture to adapt adverse impacts of climate change for increasing food production. Agriculturist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Award 2018 Medal on food security category last year.
said Bangladesh has achieved laudable success in adapting to climate change in the agriculture sector to increase food production.
Appreciating the pragmatic steps taken by the government in last years to increase food productivity by adapting to changing climate, he said the farmers have already started reaping benefits of adoption of CA-based technologies in the country.
He said large-scale cultivation of climate smart crops adopting proven technologies, best farm practices, balanced fertilisation and pest control and expansion of irrigation facilities are major reasons behind boost in food output.
“Bangladesh is producing over 34.8 million metric tonnes of clean rice annually in addition to other cereal crops making the country self-reliant on food for its 160 million populations on way to attain the sustainable development goals by 2030,” he said.
The growth in rice production will continue to increase following various pragmatic steps of the government to further enhance its output by almost one and a half times by 2050 to feed probable 220 million populations.
Dr Mazid, a former Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, said farmers have started using improved eco-friendly agriculture technologies and practices almost having no adverse effects on the environment and bio-diversity.
“We have to ensure effective extension of latest technologies among the farmers using ICT and video-based training facilities to resolve agricultural and local natural resource problems for attaining sustainability in agriculture,” he said.
He suggested for adoption of resource-conserving and CA-based technologies, practices, integrated pest and nutrient managements and agro- forestry for keeping food production increasing all the time for sustainableagriculture.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul said food production isincreasing consistently following adoption of CA-based technologies and farm mechanisation in last one decade.