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Farmers will be trained to reduce and control pesticide use to ensure safer food production, Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said on Thursday.
He said excessive use of pesticides was increasing health risks among farmers, including cancer and other serious physical complications. Raising awareness and providing training would therefore be important to control pesticide use, he said.
The minister made the remarks at the sixth meeting of the governing body of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) at its conference room in Dhaka.
Amin Ur Rashid, who is also chairman of the BARC governing body, said proper use of natural or organic fertilisers could help keep soil, the environment, water and fish safe.
Bangladesh is nearly self-sufficient in meat production, he said, adding that research activities in the sector should be expanded to further increase output. If production rises sufficiently, Bangladesh could eventually export meat and meat products worth billions of dollars, he said.
The minister said the government was rewarding those making significant contributions to freshwater fish production. It was also taking various initiatives, including establishing fish sanctuaries, to increase and conserve fish from natural sources.
He said the level of heavy metals in soil was increasing and research was needed to determine whether groundwater, fertilisers or pesticides were contributing to the problem.
Soil acidity, or pH levels, was also a concern, he said. In many areas, soil pH is currently between 4.5 and 5, while a pH above 6.5 is considered necessary for good crop production.
Improving soil pH to above 6.5 could increase crop production and further ensure food safety, he said, adding that the Agriculture Ministry was working on the issue.
The minister stressed the need to regularly monitor the implementation of decisions taken at meetings. He also called for using researchers’ expertise and knowledge in formulating national policies in the country’s interest.
Amin Ur Rashid also emphasised promoting the ‘Khamari’ mobile app to bring crop-related services and advice closer to farmers and other beneficiaries. He urged the authorities concerned to take initiatives to ensure wider use of the app.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister and co-chairman of the BARC governing body Abdul Awal Mintoo said government institutions were conducting important research and making significant contributions to developing new varieties and increasing production in agriculture, fisheries and livestock.
He said private research institutions were also developing various innovations and stressed the need to explore ways to utilise such innovations in the national interest.
Members of parliament, senior officials from different ministries and government agencies, university vice-chancellors, teachers and researchers attended the meeting.