Bangladesh: Agro revolution to be seen in saline areas

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Sunday said there is a huge potential of growing crops in the saline lands of the country's coastal and southern areas as scientists have developed different salinity-tolerant varieties. "Our agricultural scientists have already been able to develop many salinity-tolerant improved varieties of crops including rice, pulses, watermelon, potato and sunflower as well as vegetables," he said. The minister said this at a farmers' rally at Gherer Ail area in Dumuria Upazila under Khulna District after visiting the off-season cultivation of bean, watermelon and pepper there, said a PID handout. He said work is on to spread the newly developed salinity-tolerant variety of crops and production technologies to all farmers in the coastal areas. The preparation of a roadmap is underway to this end, he said. "If the farmers cultivate these varieties of crops, an agricultural revolution would be seen in the saline lands of the country's southern ...