Govt plans to boost hilsa production

 
The government is taking a series of measures to improve food and agricultural management, including nationwide soil testing, tighter pesticide controls, local vaccine production and steps to increase hilsa production, Fisheries and Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat, the minister said soil testing was underway at union level across the country, with reports on soil conditions expected within four months. Necessary measures would then be taken to improve soil quality.

He said heavy metals had been found in soil due to a lack of proper treatment and management and expressed concern over the long-standing absence of clear rules on pesticide use.

A high-level committee has been formed to recommend measures on pesticide management and is expected to submit its proposal within a month.

The government is also preparing to produce H9N2 avian influenza and goat pox vaccines locally. Vaccines developed by the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) have been handed over to the Department of Livestock Services for commercial production.