Bangladesh has sufficient food reserves to weather floods: PM Hasina

Bangladesh has sufficient food reserves to weather the impact of another flooding, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said. 

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 16 July 2017, 10:28 AM
Updated : 16 July 2017, 02:44 PM

“We are hearing of another flooding. Given our geographic location, we have to weather such natural disasters from time to time,” Hasina said at the National Bangabandhu Agriculture Award ceremony.
 

Two straight weeks of rains and rising river waters led to flooding in 13 districts and 52 Upazilas, affecting nearly 700,000 people.
Combining the state, private, mill owner and farmers’ stocks there are approximately 600,000 tonnes of food reserves in the country and more is being imported, Hasina said.
“We are importing additional food to maintain our reserves so that our people do not suffer. We are buying from many countries. We have also reduced the import tariff.”
Hasina said her government was trying to ensure food security by increasing production.
During the Awami League rule between 1996 and 2001, Bangladesh produced sufficient food, but when the party returned to power in 2009 there was a shortage, she said.
The prime minister faulted the 2001-2006 BNP-Jamaat alliance government for the inability to increase food production.
Food production has increased from 280,000 tonnes in fiscal 2005-6 to 388,000 tonnes in fiscal 2015-16, according to the prime minister.
This year, food production is near 400,000 tonnes, she said.