Hasina orders cultivation of fallow lands of government amid global food crisis

She also orders officials to ensure that the stock of grains in Bangladesh does not fall below 1.5 million tonnes

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 Nov 2022, 07:26 PM
Updated : 27 Nov 2022, 07:26 PM

Sheikh Hasina has ordered officials to start cultivating fallow lands of police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Railway and other government and private agencies as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to disrupt global food supply. 

The prime minister ordered them to use area-wise suitable varieties of crops for farming on the fallow lands, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said after her meeting with the secretaries to ministries and divisions at her office on Sunday. 

The amount of lands used for farming in Bangladesh will rise by more than 100,000 hectares and food production will double in three years if new, high-yielding varieties of crops, livestock and fish are used in the fallow lands following Hasina’s orders, believes Anwarul.

“In that case, we’ll be able to export a large amount of rice instead of importing grains,” he said. 

Hasina also instructed officials to ensure that the stock of grains in Bangladesh does not fall below 1.5 million tonnes. As of Nov 22, the country’s stock of grains was 1.6 million tonnes, according to the cabinet secretary. 

To tackle a dollar crisis, the prime minister told the officials to continue practising austerity. “We must prioritise what are essentials, such as energy, fertiliser, food and important capital machinery. Spending on luxury goods will have to be cut,” Anwarul said.