Rights activists in Barisal on Friday observed that fair price for farmers must be ensured for attaining food security. They also stressed increasing subsidy for the agriculture sector.
They made the suggestions at a workshop jointly organised by Integrated Community Development Association and Angikar Bangladesh in collaboration with OXFAM GROW at the ICDA office in the city.
They said the food growers were the first victim of insecurity of food as the developing poor countries were forced by the development donors and rich countries to withdraw or decrease subsidy for the agriculture sector.
Besides excessive dependence on chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides, imported hybrid seeds for food production were creating a serous concern about marketing, fair price and safe food rights of the farmers and people, they noticed.
If people were not aware of the issues, food security and poverty eradication would never be possible, they said.
Anowar Zahid, executive director ICDA, conducted the workshop and Nikhil Hazra, documentation coordinator of Angikar Bangladesh, presented keynotes.
It was discussed, among others, by Professor M Moazzem Hossain, Shibani Chowdhury, Abul Kalam, Dr Syed Habibur Rahman, Ranjit Datta, Nirmal Chandra Das, Fazilatunnesa Farid, Hasina Begum Nila, Sirajul Islam, rights and NGO activists, Shahina Azmin, Swapan Khandokar, journalists.
-With New Age input
