The Bangladesh Safe Food Network (BSFN) has demanded direct cash subsidy for smallholder marginal farmers to boost crop production during the coronavirus pandemic.
They said cash help is needed as farmers incurred huge losses during the 65-day holiday. Cyclone Amphan also spelt disaster for them in many districts last month.
The BSFN also suggested imposing a 20-per cent duty on the import of onion instead of the proposed 5.0 per cent in the budget for fiscal year 2020-21.
The demands were made in a virtual meeting styled 'Public Discussion: Agricultural Budget 2020-21' hosted by the network recently.
BSFN chairman Dr Jainul Abedin, who chaired the meeting, said rice, vegetable, fish, poultry, fruit and jute growers have incurred huge losses this year due to coronavirus and Amphan.
Direct cash incentive would yield much higher benefits amid fears of a global food crisis due to the ongoing viral infection, he added.
Agricultural economist Dr Jahangir Alam Khan observed that a paltry 5.0-per cent import duty is not enough to help the peasantry.
The duty on onion imports should be a minimum of 20 per cent and it be implemented particularly during the February-June period to give farmers real benefits.
Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists' Forum secretary Shahnure Shahid Shaheen said most farmers would not get bank loans for a lack of necessary papers for land, among other reasons.
They should be given direct cash subsidy to help them remain in farming which is now obligatory to boost production amid the pandemic, he suggested.
Ethno-biologist Pavel Partho, among others, also spoke.
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