Farmland protection ordinance on the cards: adviser

The interim government is preparing a farmland protection ordinance with strict measures against violations, said Agriculture Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

"Cultivated land must not be destroyed under any circumstances. Construction of structures will be prohibited on land used for two or three crop cycles," he said at an event at the secretariat in Dhaka today.

Bangladesh lost 1 percent of its net cropped area, declining to 19.83 lakh acres in 2023 from 20.08 lakh acres in 2020, the sharpest fall in a decade, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

The adviser said Tk 893.20 crore in incentives was distributed free of cost last year to more than 85 lakh small and marginal farmers in the form of fertilisers, seeds, seedlings, and other support.

In the fiscal year, the country produced 41.92 million tonnes of rice, including 16.51 million tonnes of Aman, 2.79 million tonnes of Aus, and 22.61 million tonnes of Boro.

Other outputs included 11.57 million tonnes of potatoes, 1.04 million tonnes of wheat, 7.40 million tonnes of corn, 4.45 million tonnes of onions, 0.79 million tonnes of garlic, 0.25 million tonnes of ginger, and 1.64 million tonnes of green chillies.

A total of Tk 27,684.97 crore has been disbursed, including Tk 20,691 crore in fertiliser arrears, he said, adding that 30,000 tonnes of fertiliser have been received from Russia free of cost.

By breaking the fertiliser import syndicate, the government saved Tk 233.61 crore.

To preserve vegetables, 100 mini cold storage facilities are being set up, while airflow machines and special rooms are being built to store onions and potatoes.

Protocols related to good agricultural practices for 15 fruits and vegetables have been finalised, including mango, jackfruit, guava, aubergine, and cabbage.

He added that 3.3 million native fruit and forest seedlings were distributed free, while eucalyptus and akashmoni seedlings were destroyed with Tk 4 compensation per seedling.

Disciplinary action has been taken against 19 officials in the agriculture ministry, while details of over 100 others have been forwarded to the Anti-Corruption Commission.