Rice production in the country increased to 44 million tonnes in the fiscal year 2021-22 (FY22), which broke the previous records, said Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque.
Besides, in the past 14 years, rice production has increased by 29 per cent, wheat by 37 per cent, maize by 671 per cent, potato 110 per cent, pulse 328 per cent, vegetables 645 per cent and onion 395 per cent, he said while addressing the eights convocation of Bangladesh Agriculture university (BAU) in Mymensingh.
The minister presided over the convocation ceremony on behalf of President Abdul Hamid, also Chancellor of the university, reports UNB.
Due to the surprising success achieved in the agriculture sector there has been no crisis in food, he said.
He also urged the university authorities to prepare the agriculture graduates for developing climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.
The agriculture minister also urged to invent climate-tolerant, high-yielding varieties of crops and modern farming methods and spread those among farmers quickly in a bid to boost agricultural production and ensure food security in the future by tackling various challenges including shrinking of land, population growth and climate change.
He also asked the graduates to be skilled to introduce use of robotics, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and drones in agriculture sector.
He also stressed the need for modifying the curriculum of the Agriculture Universities and modernising it.
More than 6,000 students received degrees and 224 gold medals at the convocation.