Bulbul Ahmed, Sherpur: An advocacy meeting on inclusion of zinc-enriched crops in government programs has been held in Sherpur.Deputy Commissioner spoke as the chief guest at the meeting held in the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday afternoon. Mominur Rashid. It was presided over by Mohit Kumar Dey, Deputy Director, Department of Agricultural Extension, Sherpur. The meeting was organized by HarvestPlus Bangladesh under the Bangladesh Initiative to Enhance Nutrition Security and Governance (BINGS) project.
Civil Surgeon Anupam Bhattacharya, Additional Deputy Commissioner Muktadirul Ahmed, HarvestPlus Bangladesh Country Manager spoke at the meeting. Khairul Bashar, District Food Controller. Al-Wajiur Rahman, Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. Abdul Quader, Harvest Plus Bangladesh official MA Salek, Wahidul Amin, project coordinator. Habibur Rahman Khan, Bina, Mahbubul Alam, Scientific Officer, Nalitabari Sub-Center, Faruk Al Masud, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Jhenaigati, Humayun Kabir, Agriculture Officer, Salma Akhter, Deputy Director, Seed Certification Agency.
Khairul Bashar, Country Manager, HarvestPlus Bangladesh, told the meeting that up to 26.7 mg of zinc per kg of rice is available in rice, which can meet up to 70% of the body`s zinc requirement. Eating zinc-rich foods increases immunity, children do not get shorter, hunger is eliminated. Children develop physically and intellectually. Zinc deficiency in pregnant mothers, on the other hand, leads to physical weakness and damage to the baby`s immune system. Therefore, every citizen of the country should consume food produced from zinc rich crops. The meeting was attended by officials of government and private departments, people`s representatives, rice traders and media personnel.