Published: 12:00 AM, 10 April 2016
NGOs term agro subsidy withdrawal suicidal
Speakers at a human chain program termed the recent WTO treaty on subsidy withdrawal from agriculture as suicidal. They opined that the treaty would endanger the food security of Bangladesh. The opinion came out while speakers from 12 NGOs were addressing a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club in the capital city on Saturday.
On behalf of the organizers, Rezaul Karim questioned about the logic of food import while the country was said to be food surplus.
"Agriculture of Bangladesh can't be treated the same way as in the developed countries being done. Developed countries have become industrial ones now. So, withdrawal of subsidy in developed countries and in Bangladesh can't have the same impact," he opined
Md Mujibul Haque Munir of Coast Trust made several recommendations in this regard. He advocated for introducing laws controlling commercialization of agricultural lands, introducing cooperative farming, governmental incentives to save the small scale farmers, establishing sustainable embankments in coastal areas and many more.Subal Sarkar said, "We are continuously forced to withdraw subsidies. This is just to create their agro products market to our market and to make our agriculture sector dependent to their companies."Badrul Alam said, "The way the agriculture is being controlled by some multinational companies; in near future food stocks will also be controlled by some companies".
On behalf of the organizers, Rezaul Karim questioned about the logic of food import while the country was said to be food surplus.
"Agriculture of Bangladesh can't be treated the same way as in the developed countries being done. Developed countries have become industrial ones now. So, withdrawal of subsidy in developed countries and in Bangladesh can't have the same impact," he opined
Md Mujibul Haque Munir of Coast Trust made several recommendations in this regard. He advocated for introducing laws controlling commercialization of agricultural lands, introducing cooperative farming, governmental incentives to save the small scale farmers, establishing sustainable embankments in coastal areas and many more.Subal Sarkar said, "We are continuously forced to withdraw subsidies. This is just to create their agro products market to our market and to make our agriculture sector dependent to their companies."Badrul Alam said, "The way the agriculture is being controlled by some multinational companies; in near future food stocks will also be controlled by some companies".
