http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=122994
New scheme to boost agriculture
Implement the projects quickly
Several very timely projects have been taken up by the government, the ministry of agriculture in particular, to increase production and indeed save agriculture in Bangladesh. One such plan would help mechanise farming in Bangladesh and another, if implemented without delay, would help prevent reduction of cultivable land that is being lost to urbanisation to the tune of almost 1 percent annually. The other project is related to bringing more land under irrigation.
Converting to new and scientific method of farming in Bangladesh through modern inputs has been long overdue. For far too long, dependence on the old faithful to till the land has restricted farming in our country to the primitive ways. To this end the government will provide 25 percent subsidy, to invest in technical inputs that will not only enhance production, but also ensure prevention of loss of food grains, a five percent post-harvest wastage of up to as much as 35 lakh tons per year due to the existing means of harvesting,
A very significant development in this regard is that the plan under “Enhancement of Crop Production through Farm Mechanisation” which has been approved by ECNEC, would require more than four farmers of lower and middle income groups to come together to qualify for the subsidy. This, we are certain, will lead to large scale farming, something that has not been in practice, and which has affected the overall food grain productivity in Bangladesh. Although the plans would be restricted to a limited number of districts initially, we hope that the entire country would be brought under the ambit of this plan eventually.
The idea of making it mandatory to obtain permission to construct houses or industries on cropland is very appropriate. Population pressure, as well as the need to industrialise, has led to extensive urbanisation which has caused the amount of cultivable land to come down to 77.65 lakh hectares in 2007-08 from 80.31lakh hectares in 2002-03, a very significant drop. And the sooner the idea is legislated and legal measures put in place in the regard, the better for agriculture in Bangladesh.
The agricultural ministry’s plan to bring about 389,000 hectares under irrigation is also very commendable. We have, however, a comment to make in this regard. While there is a plan to sink deep tubewells for the purpose, we feel that the minister’s stress on use of surface water for irrigation should be given due weightage. Given the effects of deep tubewells on subsurface water and water table, reliance on surface water seems to be the best option for us.
