Budget to reflect farmers' interests

Dilip Barua tells Rajshahi discussion

14 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi

Industries Minister Dilip Barua said the upcoming budget will reflect farmers' interests and include allocations for excavation of canals and ponds and dredging of rivers to improve the agriculture sector. Instead of setting up industries by its own, Barua said the government will provide all necessary supports to encourage private initiatives to establish agro-based industries like processing units of mangoes, litchis, potatoes and tomatoes. Addressing a grassroots level pre-budget discussion titled 'Krishi Budget, Krishoker Budget' on Kashiadanga College ground on Thursday night, he said the farmers are being able to produce bumper crops despite natural adversities due to smooth supply of fertilisers and fuels. “But the farmers' interests are not being preserved as they are not getting fair prices for a weak marketing system. The government is working to strengthen the country's marketing system and reduce influences of middlemen." Organised by Channel i, some 1,500 farmers from across the region attended the three-hour discussion that ended at about 10:00pm. Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, Chairman of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority Nurul Islam Thandu and Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Extension Yunus Ali participated in the discussion moderated by Shykh Siraj, head of news of the private television channel. Liton demanded allocations for surface water-based irrigation through North Rajshahi Irrigation Project, preservation of water bodies and patronisation for nurseries. Badsha emphasised preservation of river waters before it goes to sea and protecting Rajshahi's agriculture from adverse impacts of climate change. Farmers said they are facing multifarious problems for the climate change. They suffer the worst out of irrigation as ponds, canals and rivers have dried up while electricity crunch also greatly affecting the irrigation. They demanded agro-based industries for processing and preservation of potatoes, tomatoes, mangoes and litchis and urged the government for resisting tobacco cultivation. They also demanded allocations for protecting silk sector from ruination and interest-free loan for silk growers for five years. Earlier in the day, Hridoye Mati O Manush, a popular programme on agriculture by the channel, and Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital jointly provided free medical treatment to the farmers at the venue.