BARI arranges Field Day and Farmers' Gathering -The Asian Age

The Entomology and the Olericulture divisions of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) jointly arranged a Field Day and Farmers' Gathering on on-going research programs and recently invented technologies at the research field of Entomology Division today (Thursday, February 6). Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Kamalaranjan Das inaugurated the Field Day and Farmers' Gathering as chief guest.

BARI Director General Dr. Md. Abdul Wohab presided over the ceremony while global plant breeding lead scientist of the World Vegetable Center Taiwan's Dr. Peter Hanson and former director of BARI Dr. Sayed Nurul Alam were present as the guests of honor. BARI Director (Horticulture Research Centre) Dr. Abeda Khatun, Director (Support & Services) Md. Habibur Rahman Sheikh and Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Gazipur Mr. Mahbub Alam were present as special guests. Chief Scientific Officer and Head of the Entomology Division Dr. Debashish Sarker gave the welcome address.

About BARI scientists, representatives from DAE, seed & pesticide companies and farmers were participated in the ceremony. The participants visited the research field, laboratory & museum and participated in the open discussion after the inaugural session.

In his speech, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Kamalaranjan Das said, the present government wants to provide safe and nutrias foods to the people. So we have to make sure of that. In agriculture we are now moving towards commercialization.

But it is now a threat to public health as farmers do not use proper pesticides to control pests on crops. Therefore, we need to increase the use of bio pesticides to control pests by taking into account the public health of the country. Speaking on the occasion, BARI Director General Dr. Md. Abdul Wohab said there is a certain limit of pesticide use on crop to control pests. But we are not obeying it. As a result, it has a detrimental effect on public health. I hope that from this field day, the participants will get a better understanding of it.

---Mahbub Alam, Gazipur