Dhaka:Bangabhaban President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir emphasized the importance of an effective marketing system to ensure fair prices for agricultural products and better returns for farmers, describing them as the "true and finest people" of the country.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the President made these remarks during a meeting with an eight-member delegation from the Bangladesh Farmers' Association, led by its president Md Siddiqur Rahman. The meeting took place at Bangabhaban, where the President urged farmers to be proactive in protecting their interests.
The President underscored the necessity of a central national organization that represents farmers across political affiliations to safeguard their interests. He assured the farmers of cooperation and advised them to communicate with the agriculture and commerce ministers as well as other high-level government officials. Additionally, he mentioned the potential introduction of the President's Agriculture Award to honor innovative farmers.
He highlighted the government's efforts, including a new scheme with a Tk 3,000 crore allocation, to ensure fair prices for agricultural products and improve farmers' livelihoods. This scheme follows previous actions, such as waiving agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000, including interest. The President also mentioned various government measures like easy-term agricultural loans at lower interest rates.
The delegation presented several demands, including fair pricing for agricultural products, interest-free loans, and the observation of a Farmers' Day. They also requested crop insurance, representation on local law-and-order committees, and protection from natural hazards.
The President noted the international demand for Bangladeshi agricultural products and urged the association to export using modern technologies. He advocated for establishing agro-processing industries and modern cold-storage facilities, and the use of solar panels on farms. Furthermore, he promised to consider reducing interest rates on agricultural loans, particularly those from NGOs.
During the meeting, the Farmers' Association president informed the President about an initiative to honor elderly farmers in Ishwardi and organize a fair to showcase modern agricultural products. The President expressed his interest in attending the event.