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Speakers at a dialogue in Mymensingh yesterday called for increasing investment in the agriculture sector, ensuring fair prices of farmers' produces and reforming land to add a spark to rural economy.

They also called for soft loan facility, greater non-farm activities for the landless and introduction of the latest technology in agriculture at the discussion organised jointly by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), The Daily Star and The Prothom Alo.

Dr Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the CPD, delivered the welcome address at the function chaired by S M Altaf, dean of Bangladesh Agriculture University (AUB). Md Mustafizur Rahman, vice-chancellor of the school, spoke as the chief guest and Professor M M Akash read out the keynote paper at the event on 'Rural Economy: Agriculture and Non-farm'.

Local experts mostly from AUB, political leaders, NGO activists, government officials and farmers' representatives spoke on the occasion. Dr Rehman said all past governments neglected local experts in policy formulation which was dominated by foreign consultants.

The CPD has taken an initiative to seek solutions to local problems with home-grown expertise and convey the recommendations to the government for implementation, he said. He urged the civil society to update themselves on domestic problems and make the government resolve the difficulties accommodating the views of local experts.

M M Akash said some major issues, including the challenge of globalisation to the agriculture sector and proper use of rural workforce, were neglected in the election manifesto of the ruling alliance. Fertiliser gobbles up much of the government subsidy to the sector, he said, adding the administration should raise diesel subsidy as 90 percent machines for irrigation were fired by it.

"Although contribution of agriculture to the GDP is decreasing, the government should raise investment in the sector to build food security," he said. Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman said as no political party promoted the culture of accountability, the hopes and aspirations of the common man were not mirrored in their actions.

He urged the government to increase investment in the agricultural sector, saying: "It brings greater profits, creates jobs and ensures food security." Sheikh Md Faruk, former vice-chancellor of (AUB), asked the authorities concerned to go for genetically-modified (GM) food for higher yields as Bangladesh does not have a huge cultivable land.

Abul Hashem, a farmers' leader, said the government and the civil society should take a closer look at the rural economy. "The condition of our farmers are much more fragile than we think. They do not have any economic foundation. The government sometimes takes initiatives for them, but their fruits rarely reach them," he said.

Dr Harun Ur Rashid, professor of agro-economy at AUB, called for widespread land reforms to improve the face of rural economy. He urged the government to take some initiatives to create jobs for the rural landless.

Professor Abidur Reza said farmers never got proper prices of their products. The government must consider the issue if it wanted to perk up rural economy and improve the living standard of farmers.
SM Bulbul put emphasis on raising poultry birds to satisfy the protein needs of people.

Dr Salauddin Bhuiyan said infrastructural development could play a key role to rev up rural economy. It would raise the mobility of agricultural products and raise their prices, he said.

Dr Md Abdul Momen Mian said that both the government and non-government organisations should join hands to improve the situation.

Rokeya Begum, a local leader of the Mahila Parishad, said as women constituted 50 percent of the population, their capacity-building held key to national development.