Muhith stresses on raising fruit production to meet nutrition deficit

Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith today stressed on addressing nutritional deficit next to achieve tremendous success in food production as country's huge number of people are still suffering from acute malnutrition.

"The country already has achieved self-sufficiency in food grain production ...so we need to concentrate on achieving self-sufficiency in nutrition by raising fruit production," said the minister as the chief guest while addressing in the national seminar for celebrating 'Fruit Trees Plantation Fortnight-2017' at city's Krishibid Institution auditorium. 

Necessity for adopting new technology to increase fruit production, Muhith said country's total 60 per cent fruits are available in only four months from May to August and the rest 40 per cent fruits are being produced in eight months which need to be developed.

The country has fulfilled the target of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by achieving success in different sectors including food production, he said, adding that now we have to eliminate nutrition deficit for reaching the target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The agriculture ministry organized the seminar with agriculture sectary Mohammad Mainuddin Abdullah in the chair. Professor Dr M Mofazzal Hossain of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University presented the keynote paper in the seminar.

Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury spoke as the special guest while Additional secretary of the Agriculture Ministry Mosharraf Hossain gave the welcome address.

Regarding the prosperity of fruit production, Matia Chowdhury said although the country is producing huge quantities of jackfruits and it could be exported abroad as 'vegetable meat'.

Many other countries including India are now exporting green jackfruits to many countries in the Middle East as vegetable meat, she said, adding that people who have been advised to keep away from taking meat can easily take green jackfruit (vegetable meat) as an alternative of meat.

Director General (DG) of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Golam Maruf,among others, spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, both the finance minister and agriculture minister inaugurated the three-day national fruit exhibition at Gias Uddin Milki auditorium. The fruit exhibition contains 75 stalls where more than 152 fruit varieties with 60 different species are being displayed. 

A total of 70 different fruits are being cultivated in the country the country is annually producing 46.97 tonnes of fruits against the demand of 69.17 lakh tonnes.

Source: bss