Agriculture is one of cornerstones of our nation, yet it is a shame that it continues to face the biggest of injustices.
Aside from our farmers struggling, the Russia-Ukraine conflict also means that the price of food grains in the country has gone up, along with other essentials. It is a signal for not only cutting our dependency on external forces, but also helping our local sectors help the middle and working class.
Bangladesh has seen great economic growth, but alongside meeting our GDP targets, we need to think about our essentials as well. When we think about essentials, one of the main needs of a person is food, and our agriculture sector has historically been enough to serve our needs. But due to the on-field practices and the immoral tactics of the middle men, the price of food has gone up without any growth in the sector itself.
Focusing and modernizing our agricultural sector is just one of the steps we will need to address these issues. Not only will this give a boost to the sector and improve the living standard of both the working and middle class, but we can become self-sufficient in food and even export our produce to other countries, a hallmark of advanced economies -- one we wish to become in the not-so-distant future.
The vast majority of our people work in agriculture, and it is the government’s obligation to take care of these people. If we fail, then fluctuating prices will be the least of our worries in coming years.
