Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has feared that contract farming would shatter the independent entity of farmers as it is usually operating by the big corporate houses instead of the farmers.

“We have to see whether farmers are being benefitted with contact farming since they have no any involvement in it,” she said while addressing a roundtable titled ‘Farm Labour of Bangladesh: Crisis and Solution’ as the Chief Guest at a city hotel on Tuesday.
 
Vice chancellor of Sher-e Bangla Agriculture University Prof. Dr Abdul Latif spoke on the occasion as the special guest with member of RIB’s Board of Directors Prof. MM Akash in the chair.
 
Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB) organized the function with the support of Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (RLS), an internationally operating, progressive non-profit institution for civic education.
 
Speaking on the occasion, the adviser said the very existence of farmers is not only related with the wage rather we have to look into the matter whether they are getting the fair price of their produces.

“We do not need to import food grains if we procure those from farmers directly with good price by providing them subsidy…But, we are not doing so,” she added.
 
Expressing fear over the increase of tobacco cultivation across the country, she said it (tobacco cultivation) has been alarmingly expanding in the country and many cultivators have been compelled to cultivate tobacco instead of food gains.

Referring to health risk of tobacco growers, the adviser said those who are involved in this profession especially the women labourers suffer with serious health hazards including pregnancy related complications.
    
The adviser put emphasis on taking steps to increase share of agriculture in the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic product) saying the agriculture sector has been losing its share in GDP in a planned manner which should be addressed on priority basis.

“The Green Revolution in Agriculture sector has turned into a Gray Revolution due to indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilizers in the very vital sector.

As a result, cases of different life threatening diseases like cancer and other non-communicable one are increasing in the country,” she said urging all to remain cautious to this end.
      
Among others, Prof Anu Mohammad of Jahangir University, Additional Executive director of Karmojibi Nari Sanzida Sultana, Prof Manirul Islam Khan of Dhaka University, RIB director Suraya Begum, Bangladesh Khetmajur Samiti General Secretary Anwar Hossain Reza and Bangladesh Krishak Samity Joint Convenor Sheikh Mustafa Nurul Ashin attended the roundtable.