The approval came from the weekly Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office.

“The main goal of this policy is to ensure the production of climate tolerant, environment-friendly, safe, sustainable, nutritious and profitable crops through delivering demand-based technology and information services to the farmers and entrepreneurs of all classes,” said Cabinet Secretary Khander Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters at the Secretariat.

The National Agricultural Extension Policy 2020 was prepared aimed at determining the demand-led subjects of research through exchanging views with all stakeholders and applying the research findings in the fields.

If the policy can be implemented with effective coordination and cooperation among all concerned with the agriculture sector, it will be possible to accelerate further the agricultural development by providing the extended services in line with demands of the farmers, he added. 

In the country, the first agricultural policy was adopted in 1996, said Khander Anwarul Islam.

The Cabinet suggested incorporation of a provision of cooperatives-based cultivation-marketing system in the new policy to maximize the return of crops production, he said.

For an example, if some 100 acres of lands owned by many persons is selected for combined sowing to cultivate, harvest and market a single crop in combined way, the profit will be more than double, he said.

The proposal for a pilot project over the combined system of cultivation-marketing of crops was discussed in the Cabinet meeting, he said.

Besides, the Cabinet gave its final approval to the draft of Sunamganj Science and Technology University Bill 2020, said the Cabinet Secretary.

“The bill is like that of other science and technology universities across the country,” he said.

With Sunamganj Science and Technology University, the number of Science and Technology varsities will be 20 in the country and that of the total public universities 43 except medical universities.