President calls for higher farm research funding

GAZIPUR, Oct 15: President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday called for increased investment in agricultural research, fair prices for farmers’ produce and improved welfare benefits for agricultural scientists, saying these measures were essential to strengthening the country’s food security.

He urged the government to increase research funding, encourage private-sector investment and provide subsidies where necessary to sustain rice cultivation. He also called for better working conditions, appropriate pay structures and pension benefits for agricultural scientists.

“Significant benefits can be achieved through investment in agricultural research. Therefore, investment in research must be increased to further boost agricultural production in the country, while ensuring a conducive working environment and better facilities for agricultural scientists,” he said.

President made the remarks while addressing a discussion as the chief guest during his visits to the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in Gazipur.

Highlighting the importance of farmers’ livelihoods to national food security, he expressed concern that many farmers failed to recover even their production costs by selling paddy. As a result, some were becoming discouraged from rice cultivation and switching to alternative crops.