Dhaka: Agricultural experts have underscored the need for innovation, mechanization, and wider cultivation of stress-tolerant and disease-resistant crops to sustain food security in the face of climate change. They observed that changing climatic conditions have disrupted seasonal patterns of rainfall, planting, and harvesting, leaving no alternative but to adapt through continuous research and the innovation of stress-tolerant crop varieties.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, former Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Independence Award-2018 (food security) winner Dr. MA Mazid emphasized the importance of innovation, popularisation, and cultivation of stress-tolerant crops. He noted that climate change has already altered the timing of crop cultivation and harvests, necessitating the development of stress-tolerant crop varieties to boost food production.
With population growth and decreasing arable land, climate change is impacting agriculture, ecosystems, and groundwater levels, affecting food production. Dr. Mazid stated that climate change has altered seasonal rainfall, floods, dry seasons, and harvest times, making it crucial to innovate and cultivate more resilient crops.
Md Mamunur Rashid, a PhD Fellow at Dinajpur Haji Mohammad Danesh University of Science and Technology, highlighted the impact of climate change on irrigation, agriculture, and the environment. He emphasized the need for developing and cultivating stress-tolerant and disease-resistant crops to increase agricultural production amidst environmental challenges.
Rashid, an environmental expert, praised the Bangladesh government’s efforts to adapt to climate change to increase food production and manage natural disasters. He expressed concern over the abnormal climatic changes in the northern region and their impact on agriculture and the environment. Rashid stressed that efforts must continue to evolve and popularize stress-tolerant crop varieties among farmers to ensure food security.
Md Sirajul Islam, Acting Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for Rangpur region, noted that declining groundwater levels are worsening the climate situation, affecting agriculture in the northern region. He advocated for the innovation of new technologies and mechanization to increase the cultivation of stress-tolerant crops in all seasons. He praised the success of farmers in cultivating resilient crops like flood-tolerant and drought-tolerant rice, wheat, and maize to feed the growing population.