Make SAARC food bank healthy
Photo: Quddus Alam / Driknews
No doubt, forming the SAARC Food Bank Board is a good initiative because no South Asian nation is capable of ensuring food security on its own. Every member country randomly faces volatility of food prices every now and then. Naturally, people of this region expect that the SAARC Food Bank would help significantly to stabilise the South Asian region's food market. So cooperation among the nations is a must to cope with food crisis, whenever it occurs. However, after forming SAARC Food Bank Board in 2007, it could make a food stock of 4.86 lakh tonnes with contributions from the member countries. But this quantity is not enough to create any impact on the market during soaring food prices. We have learnt that the SAARC Food Bank Board has no accurate data on food production, consumption and export-import of its member countries which is essential to make the Bank healthy. Recently in the fifth special meeting of the board, attended by officials of most of the member countries ahead of the SAARC's ministerial level meeting in July, they have taken a decision to analyse all aspects to boost up the food stock of the bank. We hope the SAARC Food Bank Board would meet the expectation of the people of this region through its efficient and planned works.
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