The government will work to ensure nutrition along with food security for the people of Bnagladesh, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“We will produce the protein we need on our own,” she said during the inauguration of Livestock Service Week and Fair at the capital’s Agargaon on Thursday (18 April).
The premier said, “When I formed the government in 1996, there was a food shortage of around 40 lakh tonnes. The country did not have enough reserves, with food shortages prevailing across Asia. But I had the goal to domistically produce the food we need.”
Stating that there was a food shortage in the country when BNP was in powder, PM Hasina said, “Bangladesh had to depend on others for food during BNP rule. They had a plan to make the country dependent on others. But we have overcome that situation. Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in food.”
The Department of Livestock Services of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry organised the two-day fair jointly with the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) and Bangladesh Poultry Industries Council (BPIC).
The fair will remain open from 10am to 8:00pm.
No entry fee is needed for the visitors.
The farmers of poultry and dairy sector across the country will join the event to display their cattle and birds in the fair.
Simultaneous fairs have been organised at 466 upazilas of 64 districts.
After the inagurating the event, the prime minister visited the fairgrounds.
Organisers of the fair said 25 pavilions and 30 stalls have been set up in the fair ground to showcase the varieties of livestock.
7 pavilions have been dedicated to the government authorities, they added.
More than 3,000 farmers out of the 55,000 member BDFA from Dhaka, Cumilla, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Bogura, Pabna, Sirajganj, Jashore, Benapole, Kushtia, Chuadanga, and other districts joined the fair.
According to the organisers the fair will link grassroot farmers with big companies.
