http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/05/08/news0175.htm
New Nation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Moeen opens potato fair
Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed Wednesday kicked off a three-
day national campaign for increased potato consumption with a fervent
call for all to enhance the intake of this food item now available in
abundance.
A raise in potato intake, he said, could yield a double benefit: it
would help out the farmers who have reaped a bumper harvest and cut
down the demand for high-priced rice.
"Stand beside the 2.50 crore farmers, who grow food for 15 crore
people, to keep them alive by way of eating an extra amount of potato
with daily food intake," the army chief said in his appeal at the
inaugural function of the 3-day "Potato Campaign 2008" at the
Bangladesh-China Friend****p Conference Centre.
General Moeen pointed out that the country faces rice shortage in the
month of March and April, when potato is harvested. "So, if we
increase potato consumption at this time, it will reduce pressure on
rice," he said.
Mentioning the hard fact that Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country,
he said though every year it faces different natural catastrophes, but
2007 was a very unlucky year as it witnessed seven catastrophes in a
row. These included two phases of flooding, attack by cyclone Sidr,
price spiral of food items and petroleum on the international market
and spread of bird flu.
However, 2008 is a good year for Bangladesh as the country garnered
bumper production of most of the crops.
Moeen shared how he became eager to campaign for raising potato
consumption. He said when he visited northern Rangpur and Lalmonirhat
districts, he saw huge sacks of potatoes lying on roadsides. "Farmers
told me no one is interested to buy potato, which inclined me to
launch campaign for potato."
He told his audience that due to campaign for a rise in potato
consumption by government, its consumption rose significantly. "And I
think the government also was able to stand by the farmers through the
campaign."
Mentioning that this year the county got 30-lakh-MT higher potato
production than last year, he said if the countrymen increase potato
consumption, the surplus potato would be finished within two or three
months.
To underpin the significance of the national campaign, he said the
United Nations urged world population to increase potato consumption,
declaring 2008 as World Potato Year, as potato production is higher
all over the world this year.
And Bangladesh responded to the call of the UN and launched its
campaign.
General Moeen, whose force is backing up the present caretaker
government, had a word for critics of this campaign for potato. "I'll
request those who oppose potato campaign for raising consumption to
give suggestions how farmers would preserve or store the extra
potatoes."
Reminding that cold storages have the capacity to preserve only 20
lakh mts of potatoes, he posed a question how the extra potatoes could
be preserved if potato consumption is not increased.
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