President urges direct incentives to make farming profitable

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday called for direct financial incentives for farmers, fair prices for agricultural produce and greater investment in research to make farming a more profitable profession in Bangladesh.

Speaking at a meeting after visiting the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute in Gazipur, the president said that many farmers were abandoning agriculture because their earnings failed to cover soaring production costs. Consequently, he stressed the need to strike a balance between costs and income, to guarantee fair prices for crops and to ensure that government incentives reach farmers directly.

Moreover, Mr Fakhrul said that stronger agricultural research was essential to raise yields, cut production costs and develop technologies suited to farmers’ needs. He also urged the authorities to improve conditions for agricultural scientists, including considering pension benefits through legislative amendments if necessary.

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Furthermore, the president called for more cold storage facilities to preserve fruits and vegetables, thereby easing the pressure on farmers to sell their produce at depressed prices immediately after harvest. He encouraged private-sector investment in storage infrastructure and urged collective, gradual efforts to tackle institutional challenges and strengthen the agricultural sector.