Farmers should be given full support

In her speech on April 20, the prime minister warned about the possibility of a global food shortage due to the coronavirus if steps are not taken in the right time. We welcome her decision to pre-emptively warn everyone of such a grave possibility and hope it will be taken seriously by all stakeholders.

As this newspaper reported on April 21, the PM emphasised on the need to produce and preserve food to overcome any possible food crisis in the post-coronavirus world. She urged farmers to use all the available land in the country to grow crops and asked law enforcement agencies to cooperate with them. In that regard, it is essential that farmers are given all the help they require. That includes financial assistance to help them hire helpers to harvest crops, get machinery, etc. The financial institutions should be instructed to provide farmers with low-interest loans, and ensuring there is enough storage space for their food produce is also key.

Last year, we witnessed a massive debacle in procuring rice from farmers, many of whom had to endure losses after being forced to sell their produce at very low prices. The government must ensure there is no repeat of that, and its decision to purchase a significant amount of Boro paddy directly from farmers does indicate that it has somewhat learned from its previous mistake. Corruption has always been a huge problem when it comes to the agriculture sector. And the government needs to be stern in its action against those who try to benefit at the cost of farmers or others, particularly as we are currently in a crisis period.

Paddy harvesting has already started and more food grains will be produced in the near future. Therefore, it is essential that farmers get the assistance they need as soon as possible. With the right steps, we agree with the PM that a famine-like situation can be avoided and everyone now needs to work towards that.