Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque said that government is working on the development of climate change tolerant crop varieties on a priority basis to address the adverse effects of climate change on the agriculture sector in Bangladesh. Scientists and researchers in Bangladesh are working to develop varieties of crops suitable for cultivation in various adverse environments including salinity, drought, submergence and high temperatures. There have already been many successes. But it takes a long time to invent these varieties. In this case, the cooperation of the Netherlands is needed.
Dr Razzaque made this remark while meeting with executive board president of the Wageningen University and Research Louise O Fresco on the university premise.
The Minister of Agriculture presented the Letter of Intent (LOI) to the President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University and Research, the world's leading researcher and educator in agriculture, food and life sciences. The Minister sought the cooperation of the University in agricultural research especially in the innovation of Climate Resilient Crop Variety, extension of research and technology for extension of perishable agricultural products and training of scientists and extension workers.
President Louise O Fresco expressed special interest in cooperating on these issues. He assured that a delegation of the university would visit Bangladesh soon and stressed on clarifying the areas of cooperation.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Minister of Agriculture Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque visited Wageningen University and Research and the Netherlands Plant Eco-Phenotyping Center (NPEC). There he toured the activities of the Phenomia Lab and the Technology Laboratory (Phenomics Lab) to innovate new varieties in a very short time by using genetic technology to combat the effects of climate change and environmental control.
On the same morning, Razzaque Dr with the Mayor of Vakheningen, Floor Vermeulen, and presented him with the book ‘The Unfinished Memoirs’, the autobiography of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Members of the Public-Private Delegation Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Md. Ruhul Amin Talukder, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Marketing Mohammad Yusuf, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands M Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Dhaka Ann Van Leuven, Chairman FH Ansari, Managing Director and CEO of AgroLink, Parvez Saiful Islam, Chief Operating Officer of Square Food and Beverages, and Kazi Inam Ahmed, Director of Jamcon Group were present.
