Fighting inflation: How family-grown food can safeguard finances
“Inflation is squeezing household budgets. We must cultivate our own nutritious food by growing vegetables on fallow land. The government is also taking steps to prevent food shortages,” Bangladesh Krishi Bank Chairman Md Nasiruzzaman said.
Bangladesh Krishi Bank Chairman Md Nasiruzzaman called for adopting a family-based nutrition agriculture model to combat rising food prices and ensure food security.
"Inflation is squeezing household budgets. We must cultivate our own nutritious food by growing vegetables on fallow land. The government is also taking steps to prevent food shortages," he said during a dialogue on nutrition financing in Barishal today (29 April).
He highlighted a critical nutrition gap, with many lacking access to nutritious vegetables. He added that the government's "Amar Angina, Amar Pushti" project aims to address this.
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"About 48% of our farmers are sharecroppers who primarily focus on crops like paddy and bananas. We need to encourage them to cultivate a wider variety of vegetables to improve the overall nutritional value of their yields," he also added.
He further said that farmers are forced to turn to development organisations for loans due to the difficulty of obtaining them from government banks as banks require collateral and extensive paperwork.
Dr Jiaoqun Shi, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative in Bangladesh, pledged continued collaboration to improve the country's nutrition sector. He highlighted the UN's long-standing commitment to nutrition security and its partnership with Bangladesh.
FAO Technical Cooperation Coordinator Imanun Nabi Khan cited statistics of food insecurity in Bangladesh. He said that 22% of the population faces moderate to severe food insecurity, with a significant portion resorting to loans for daily meals. He emphasised the urgency of investing in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, highlighting the positive impact on national well-being.
The dialogue, partnered with The Business Standard, featured discussions from experts including Ministry of Agriculture Additional Secretary (Planning Wing) Mahbubul Haque Patwary, Department of Agricultural Extension Director General Badal Chandra Biswas, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Director General Debasish Sarker, Bangladesh Bank Additional Director Md Shahid Reza, Dutch-Bangla Bank Chairman (CSR Research Program Committee) M Monjurul Alam and Sara Bangla Krishak Society President Rita Brahma among others.
The event concluded with the distribution of guarantee-free Tk10,000 loan checks and vegetable seeds to female farmers in Barishal and Khulna.
