'Farmers ignored in budgetary process'
At the award giving ceremony at Biam auditorium in the city, the TV channel also gave away prizes to six winners of an essay writing competition organised to mark the third year of its popular agriculture-based programme 'Hridoye Mati O Manush'.
A book titled 'Janavashya' (peoples' voice) with 100 best essays selected from all the entries of the competition was also launched at the function.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The discovery of Haridhan has an interesting background.
Haripada Kapali, a marginal farmer of Asannagar village under Sadhuhati union, once went to his paddy field to check insects. He suddenly noticed a paddy plant with more sheaves and taller than the others. Being amazed, the 70-year-old farmer took special care of the plant separating it from others and store its seeds.
In the next Aman season, Haripada planted the high breed variety and collected more seeds.
"After repeating the process for next two years, I cultivated the rice in half-a-bigha land. When other farmers saw the rice, they were impressed and began producing it collecting seeds from me. They then named it Haridhan after my name," said Haripada Kapali in a programme of Channel i.
He said Haridhan gives a yield of 16 to 18 maunds in one bigha whereas production of other varieties during Aman season in the same area is not more than 12 maunds.
"Haridhan also needs less fertiliser and insecticides," he added.
Haripada became emotional after receiving the crest and Tk 50,000 from Faridur Reza Sagar, managing director of Channel i, and Shykh Siraj, director and presenter of Hridoye Mati O Manush.
Speaking on the occasion, renowned media personalities and economists termed the Channel i's unique initiative of introducing the award for significant contribution to agriculture a milestone in the development of country's agriculture sector where farmers, the heroes behind the scene, are deprived of their due rights.
"We speak of poverty alleviation, show data and statistics in research papers, but those do not reflect the real picture of farmers, their sorrows or sufferings," said Shykh Siraj.
A big portion of annual budget is allocated for agriculture, but the farmers know little about it, he said, adding that their participation in the budgetary process is ignored.
"Sixty-three percent of the total workers are agricultural farmers, but they do not have any platform through which they can place their demands," he added.
Dr Mostafizur Rahman, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said the farmers with their long experiences discover new technologies and varieties which are not often taken into consideration.
Lauding the contribution of the programme Hridoye Mati O Manush to agricultural development, he said media can highlight the country's successes in this sector.
Economist Dr Atiur Rahman appreciated Shykh Siraj for his passion for agriculture sector saying his programme Mati O Manush in Bangladesh Television and Hridoye Mati O Manush in Channel i have significant contributed to make the country's agriculture sector vibrant.
"Today's macroeconomic scenario of the country could not have been so without the farmers' contribution," he said.
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam expressed regret at the failure of the media, particularly the print media, to focus on the needs of farmers who played the key role in GDP growth.
"We, the journalists, hope to practise people-oriented journalism and contribute to the development of agro-based industries in the country," he said, appreciating Shykh Siraj for pursuing journalism for the development of agriculture.
Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud, Prof Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Dr AM Farook of Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University, South East University Vice-chancellor Dr M Shamsher Ali, BTV's General Manager Ali Imam and Impress Group Director Majumder Abdur Rashid also spoke at the function.