http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=30528
Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Thursday, April 5, 2008
Govt trying best to overcome food crisis
Moeen advises people to eat potato with rice
Staff Correspondent, Bogra
Army chief General Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said the country is
experiencing a food crisis to some extent and the government is trying
its best to overcome it.
He suggested adopting a habit of eating potato with rice to ease the
pressure on the staple.
"The only problem in the country at present is to make food available
for everyone," Gen Moeen said after visiting a farmers' market set up
under the supervision of the army at Chelopara in Bogra city.
Stressing the need for growing the habit of eating potato, Moeen said,
"Eating potato with rice will reduce the demand for rice while
fulfilling the nutrition requirement."
The army chief appreciated the initiative for setting up the farmers'
market for direct marketing of farm produce. He said such markets
would be set up across the country to help decrease the number of
middlemen, which will benefit both the buyers and sellers.
He assured the farmers of taking initiatives so that the market is not
evicted with the change of government and developing the marketplace
as a permanent business centre.
Gen Moeen noted that the country faced natural disasters last year but
nobody had to starve to death. "We all tried and succeeded in tackling
the situation," he said.
UNB adds: The army chief said the Food Department has already started
selling rice at fair price on the open market and the government is
increasing rice allocation and the number of dealers.
"More people will be able to buy rice at fair price [at Tk 25 per kg]
and save money," he said.
He said 78 lakh tonnes of potato has been produced across the country
in the current season and the production of wheat also almost doubled.
He hoped there would be a bumper production of Boro paddy this season
as the supplies of seeds, fertilisers and power were normal.
Bogra Area Commander and GOC of 11 Infantry Division Major General
Muhammad Shamim Chowdhury, senior army officials and government
officials accompanied the army chief.
Meanwhile, Naznin Moeen, wife of the army chief, yesterday inaugurated
Millennium Scholastic School in Jahangirabad Cantonment area in the
city.
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