IRRI Chief Calls on FM

Food security, climate discussed

12 July 2010, 18:00 PM

Unb, Dhaka

Dr Robert Zeigler, director general of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), called on Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the foreign ministry in the city yesterday. During the meeting they discussed the issues of global concern like food security, climate change and disaster management. Dipu Moni thanked Dr Zeigler for IRRI`s continuous support to Bangladesh in enhancing the food production. She also expressed hoped that IRRI would continue its efforts to maintain food security of the least developed countries. She said her government has adopted the National Agriculture Policy and undertaken various effective measures to achieve the food security. The main objectives of theses measures are to reduce the price of fertiliser to an affordable cost for the cultivators, facilitate irrigation through lowering the price of diesel; ensure timely supply of quality seeds and provide incentives to agricultural products to ensure fair price, she said. The foreign minister said Bangladesh is paying due importance to upgrade the conventional technology in the area of agriculture and extending the scope of ICT for disseminating information in the agriculture sector. They also discussed the negative impacts of climate change including uncertainties with rainfall, flash and stagnant floods, cyclones and salinity that have drastically affected the production of crops in Bangladesh.