Photo: Collected
Agriculture Secretary Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian said, We have many entrepreneurs who ask for help. For them, the government will provide agricultural loans of Tk 39,000 crore in the agricultural sector this year. Now we will try to find out who needs help to become a real entrepreneur. We will try to help them.
He said these things while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled 'Innovative Power of Youth, Driving Force of Agricultural Transformation' held at the Begum Sufia Kamal Auditorium of Gazipur Agricultural University on Thursday (September 4) organized by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) as part of the government's 'Youth Festival 2025' program.
The Agriculture Secretary said, This is the first time that the government has fixed the price at the cold storage gate to help potato farmers. Also, this is the first time that the government has decided to purchase 50,000 metric tons of potatoes. Because if we do not get a fair price for our products, then we have no chance of being satisfied.
He further said, our young students of today are our future resources with immense potential. We need to utilize this resource.
Dr. Emdad Ullah Mian further said, for the first time, the Ministry of Agriculture is working on formulating a 25-year action plan. Its goal is to ensure safe and nutritious food for all by 2050.
The seminar was chaired by BARC Executive Chairman Dr. Nazmun Nahar Karim and was attended by Gazipur Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. GKM Mostafizur Rahman as the chief sponsor. Gazipur Agricultural University Treasurer Professor Dr. Md. Shafiul Islam Afrad was present as the special guest at the seminar.
Dr. Md. Mosharraf Uddin Mollah, Member Director of the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department of BARC and Convener of the ‘Youth Festival 2025’ Program Organizing Committee, delivered the welcome speech. The seminar featured a keynote address titled ‘Youth’s Innovative Power, the Driving Force of Agricultural Transformation’ by Dr. Md. Abdus Salam, Chief Scientific Officer, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department, BARC, and Deputy Program Director (HRD) of APCU-BARC, Partner Project.
The seminar was attended by around 500 participants, including final year undergraduate and master’s students of Gazipur Agricultural University, young agricultural entrepreneurs and innovators, university teachers, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and BARC, scientists, representatives of various NGOs and private sectors.
It is worth noting that the seminar presented the success stories of 11 successful entrepreneurs in various fields of agriculture to encourage the youth to become young agricultural entrepreneurs.
They are: Agriculturist Muhammad Sajjad Hossain Tulip (coffee cultivation expansion and processing), Shahida Begum (onion seed production and marketing), Abdul Halim (safe vegetable production and marketing), Agriculturist Md. Mobarak Hossain (honey production and marketing), Engineer Md. Milan Mia (organic fertilizer production and marketing), MD. Ismail (safe dried fish production), Agriculturist Al Mamun (colorful fish production and marketing), Agriculturist Dr. Md. Tajammul Haque (technology-based innovative services), Agriculturist Md. Nazmus Shakib (sustainable agricultural technology extension), Kazi Kawsar Hossain Pritam (healthy food management for livestock nutrition), and Md. Rezwanul Islam (integrated farm management for economic prosperity).
Source: Online/GFMM
Comment Now