Food security hinges on use of full land

Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Md Mashiur Rahman (Additional Secretary) has said that every inch of land should be utilised to ensure the country’s food security and increase production. He urged that all fallow land should be brought under cultivation.

He made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the national workshop on annual activity evaluation and award distribution of the Sylhet Region Agricultural Development Project (1st Revised) through Modern Technology, held at the Subid Bazar, Sylhet city, on Saturday.

He said the government and various agricultural research institutions are providing continuous support in this regard.

To make fallow land suitable for cultivation, the Department of Agricultural Extension should assess soil health and promote the use of organic and balanced fertilisers accordingly.

epending on the nature of the land, the cultivation of profitable crops such as pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, and nutritious fruits should be expanded, as these can be grown at low cost and within a short period.

He further said that improved seeds and modern agricultural technologies should be used under the guidance of the Agriculture Department.

With modern technology, government support, and proper planning, fallow land can be made suitable for productive farming.

The workshop was chaired by Dr. Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Sylhet Region, and moderated by Md. Akram Hossain, Monitoring Officer of the project, and Md. Rakib Uddin, Project Director of the Sylhet Region Agricultural Development Project through Modern Technology.

The technical session was chaired by Shamsuddin Ahmed, Regional Seed Certification Officer of Sylhet.

Special guests included Md. Shamsuzzaman, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Sylhet; Omar Faruk, Deputy Director of Sunamganj; and Jalal Uddin, Deputy Director of Moulvibazar.

Others who spoke at the programme included Raihan Parvez Roni, Gowainghat Upazila Agricultural Officer; Md. Shamimul Haque, Deputy Assistant Agricultural Officer of Bahubal Upazila; and farmer Shanu Mia.

Officials from Agricultural Marketing, BADC, SRDI, Paddy Research, agricultural research officers, farmers, and local agricultural entrepreneurs also participated in the workshop.

After the discussion, the chief guest distributed awards among the best agricultural officers, deputy assistant agricultural officers, and farmers.