Good agricultural practices policy (GAP Policy 2020) should be implemented to foster exports as well as to ensure safe food for people, said Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Sunday at a virtual meeting.
He said the implementation of GAP could help raise intensity and production of nutrition-reach safe crops which could lead to notable change in the socio-economic condition of farmers.
The minister made these observations while speaking at the second meeting of the steering committee for implementation of the GAP Policy 2020.
Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam presided over the meeting, said an agriculture ministry press release.
The minister said utmost priority should be given to implement the policy aiming to produce safe food through which farmers could make maximum profits by selling produce both in the domestic and global markets.
He said many steps have already been taken to ensure production of safe food as well as to boost shipment of agricultural products as the government thinks farm produce should be export-oriented.
Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam said GAP must be complied with to further explore the international market of agricultural products.
However, the meeting informed that implementation of GAP is in progress.
A time-bound plan of action has been taken where duties and responsibilities have been disseminated in the form of matrix among the concerned agencies.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) has been made 'scheme owner' while a steering committee, a technical committee and certification committee involving various stakeholders have been formed to supervise the GAP activities.
Additional secretaries Md Abdur Rauf, Kamala Ranjan Das, Md Ruhul Amin Talukder, Hasanuzzaman Kallol, Abdullah Sajjad, Chairman of BARC Sheikh Md Bakhtiyar, Director General of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Benazir Alam also spoke, among others.
