Enhance mustard oil production
Photo: Quddus Alam/ driknews
In a talk show on a TV channel last Sunday the commerce minister mentioned that only 5% of our total consumption of edible oil is met from the local produce like mustard oil. This pushed me to remember my boyhood days in mid fifties, when living in a sub-divisional town, I saw all people in that town used only mustard oil for cooking. If we consider the population of that time at about 40 million ( US census record) which is about 25% of the present population of Bangladesh at 160 million, then what happened today that we import 95% of our edible oil consumption as the minister mentioned. To my calculation it should be 75% only of total consumption today. Present higher consumption figures may be for two reasons, one for increased cooking oil consumption due to improvement in our life style or due to some wrong information. If mustard oil could satisfy the cooking oil need of 40 million people 50 years back, then why it is not sufficient to meet requirement of same population size today and to reduce import of cooking oil to 75% and not 95% ( mentioned by Minister)of today's total requirement. Moreover, our success in agriculture sector also can enhance mustard oil production by using improved seed and method of cultivation. If it is due to change of life style then it is dangerous for our health as per medical research results and as doctors' advocate. 6 months back one of my doctor friends wanted to know the cooking oil consumption of my family of 5 members and I said 5 liters per month. He suggested reducing it by half but I settled for 3 liters a month. None of my family members feels any change in reduced taste of food prepared in our house. But that change reduced my family consumption of cooking oil by 40%. Is it not a great save in our economy and better health for our people? If yes, then all should work accordingly from today.
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