Dhaka: Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar today strongly advocated for subsidies on the fisheries and livestock sectors, noting that while agriculture receives subsidies, its vital sub-sectors-fisheries and livestock-do not.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Farida Akhtar emphasized the critical role of domestic livestock in not just production but also in its intrinsic connection with rural food demand, preservation facilities, women’s employment, and agricultural heritage. She shared these insights while speaking at an international conference at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists Forum (BAJF) organized the four-day international conference and workshop titled “Political Commitment in Agriculture and Food.” During her address, Farida Akhtar cautioned policymakers against forming judgments about the poor based on the income of the rich, explaining that highlighting the average consumption capacity of the top few percent masks the actual eating habits and nutritional deficits of the poor, leading to misconceptions in policy-making.
She highlighted the disparity using the example of the widely quoted figure of 137 eggs consumed per capita annually. Farida Akhtar stressed that this average obscures the actual consumption disparity between the rich and the poor, making the true consumption reality of the impoverished invisible.
While acknowledging the necessity of industrialization in the sector, she pointed out that even as the fisheries and livestock sector is increasingly viewed as an industry, 70 to 80 percent of production is still conducted by common rural people. She mandated that the protection of indigenous species must be given the highest priority and issued a strict warning to ensure that the fundamental characteristics of native breeds are not lost during the process of creating hybrid varieties.
Regarding rural food diversity, she noted that production districts often struggle to secure their own local native fish. She cited Sunamganj as an example, where many residents are now forced to consume Pangas from aquaculture despite the region being known for the excellent taste of its native fish. Farida Akhtar also urged journalists to highlight these real-world facts.