RAJSHAHI, May 17, 2024 (BSS)- Agriculture Minister Dr Abdus
Shahid, MP, has said India, China, Russia and Belarus are very
much interested in importing mangoes produced in Rajshahi,
including its vast Barind tract.

He also said a Chinese team will see the Rajshahi's mangoes very
soon and asked some of his officials to fix proper prices of
mangoes after dealing with the team accurately.

The minister revealed this while addressing a workshop titled
"Water-efficient Futures: Scaling Agricultural Interventions in
the Water-scares Barind Region" at Circuit House here today as
the chief guest.

With Additional Divisional Commissioner Imtiaz Hossain in the
chair, the workshop was addressed, among others, by
Programme Manager of World Bank Michael John Webster and
Managing Director of the Coca-Cola Bangladesh Limited Ju-un
Nahar Choudhury.

Later, the agriculture minister visited a mango orchard under
Ultra High Density Mango Planting (UHDMP) method and also
shared views with farmers and others concerned on the occasion
at Kumorpur village under Godagari Upazila in the district.

On behalf of their Water Efficient Technologies to Barind Tract
(IWET) project, DASCOH Foundation and Syngenta Foundation
are promoting UHDMP method with financial support of the
Coca-Cola Foundation and World Bank benefiting 10,000
farmers directly, while 50,000 others indirectly since 2018.

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdus Shahid said mango production
might decline this year. So, there is an apprehension of
syndication centering the seasonal fruit.

All concerned should remain alert in this regard so that the
farmers can get their due price. "We don't allow any syndicate,"
he added.

He urged the journalists to furnish media reports against the
syndication so that they could be brought to book as early as
possible.

Agriculture Minister Abdus Shahid also visited a Boro paddy
field being cultivated through the irrigation technology of
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method at Bijoy Nagar
village under the same upazila.

The AWD has been reducing wastage of underground water
coupled with boosting paddy yield making the marginalized
farmers happy in the water-stressed Barind area.

DASCOH Foundation has also been promoting the AWD method
through its Water Management Project (WMP) supported by the
Coca-Cola Foundation aimed at promoting the water-saving
technologies among the underprivileged farmers.

Earlier, the disadvantaged and other marginalized farmers were
imparted training on how to get additional yield in less water
through using the technology.

Salient features of the WMP are to enhance agro-water
efficiency, reduce ground-water extraction and increase farmers'
income.