Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The US officials--Assistant to the administrator in the Bureau for Food Security Paul Weisenfeld and Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Asia Bureau of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) DeniseRollins-- recently visited the project sites in southern Bangladesh which have been funded by President Obama's Feed the Future Initiative.
The objectives of these projects, located in Khulna Division, are to promote agricultural development, economic growth and improved maternal and child nutrition, a USAID statement said.
The delegation observed the benefits of more efficient fertilizer use through the placement of urea pellets directly near the roots of rice plants.
The delegation members also met with private sector partners and farmers of high value aquaculture and horticulture crops.
Starting the day at the Accelerating Agriculture Productivity Improvement (AAPI) project implemented by International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), the delegation viewed rice fields cultivated with fertilizer deep placement techniques and met with producers of urea briquettes, observing the machines in action.
The group then visited the Poverty Reduction by Increasing the Competitiveness of Enterprises (PRICE) project, viewing high value horticulture and aquaculture production and meeting with farmers.
The delegation also observed the integrated fish and vegetable cultivation and interacted with farmers.
The United States of America, through its premier development agency, USAID has helped train more than 40,000 farmers in improved horticulture and/or aquaculture practices, linking them to markets and quality inputs such as seed, fertilizer and feed.
With increased productivity and reduced harvest losses, the project helped to increase sales of fish and vegetables by almost $50 million.
The U.S. Government, through USAID, has provided over $5.8 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh since 1971.
In 2011 alone, USAID provided more than $180 million to improve the lives of people in Bangladesh. USAID supports programs in Bangladesh that: promote democratic institutions and practices, expand food security and economic opportunity, improve health
BBN/SSR/AD-01Sept12-10:10 am (BST)
