Minister urges BMTF to manufacture affordable agricultural machineries

The state-run Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) is likely to be involved in the government's farm mechanisation project for providing equipment to farmers at affordable prices.

This was revealed in a meeting organised by the agriculture ministry in its office on Thursday.

In the meeting, Agriculture Minister Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque put especial emphasis on manufacturing farm machineries locally.

He urged the BMTF to manufacture agricultural machineries to boost the government's latest farm mechanisation project.

Agriculture Secretary Mohammad Nasiruzzaman chaired the event.

Deputy managing director of BMTF Brig Gen Md Iqbal Akhter Mia, Agriculture Additional Secretary Hasanuzzaman Kallol, BMTF director Brig Gen Md Ashraful Islam, Agriculture Additional Secretary Kamalaranjan Das, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Dr Razzaque said the ministry has taken the farm mechanisation project with a budget of Tk 30.2 billion.

" We are encouraging local companies to make efforts for developing such machineries locally which could help farmers getting those at a cheaper rate", he said.

The minister said that the latest farm mechanisation project might bring outstanding changes in the country's agricultural productivity.

Mohammad Nasiruzzaman said that the government has an agenda for sustainable agriculture through making it modern, profitable and commercial.

"And doing so, farm mechanisation and crop diversification are unavoidable" he added.

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