Agriculture graduates
Nowadays many agriculture graduates are either unemployed or under employed due to limited job opportunity. Some of them are compelled to change their profession wasting their hard earned technical degree. But opportunity may be created for self employment of the agriculture graduate as Krishi Daktar (Agriculture doctor) if government allows him/her to do practice like a medical doctor after registration.
Bangladesh agriculture is becoming complex due to high population pressure on land, stress environment caused by climate change, diversified demands of consumers and global competition. Agriculture has to be technology driven to address these challenges. Farmers need technical advice from qualified professionals. The more we apply science in crop production, the more we conserve biodiversity and attain self sufficiency in food.
Krishi Daktars can play a vital role to improve crop yield and quality by providing different services to the farmers about appropriate selection of crop, variety as per land and climate suitability, proper management of nutrients, water and pests, timely post harvest handling and marketing of the produce etc. Further, they can render technical advice to establish orchards, organise contract farming of high value crops and promote agro based SME among others.
The prescription of Krishi Daktar will protect the farmers from wrong use of fertilisers, pesticides based on the advice of local dealers, minimise the adverse effects of improper application of these chemical on environment and reduce cost of crop production. It is expected that the services of Krishi Daktar will bring revolutionary development in the present agriculture system
In view of the above situation, may I urge the government, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, to kindly arrange registration of agriculture graduates interested to work as practitioners setting certain guidelines and provide them soft loan from banks to set up mini lab to analyse soil and diagnose pest attacks with necessary equipment, chemicals, computer etc.
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