Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the government is now focusing on protein production as the country has already achieved food autarky.

‘We’ve achieved self-sufficiency in food. Now we’re paying a special attention to protein production to fulfill the demand of nutrition,’ she said, reports the UNB.

The Prime Minister said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of newly-constructed seven institutes and establishments under different projects of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry.

The Prime Minister said people will have good health taking adequate nutrition and become workable ones to take the country forward if they have adequate nutrition intakes. ‘We want to develop such a system of proper nutrition intakes for the new generation.’

Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for enhancing production and processing of food after assessing the demand in different countries with a view to boosting the export of processed food items.

‘Assessing the demand (of food items), we can boost the production of foods and process those for export,’ she said.

Hasina said Bangladesh could increase the production of crop, vegetable, fish, meat, milk and egg as her government gives importance to research on agriculture.

The seven institutes and establishments opened by the Prime Minister are Fisheries Diploma Institute, Gopalganj; Fisheries Diploma Institute, Kishoreganj; Fisheries Diploma Institute, Belkuchi, Sirajganj; National Livestock and Poultry Management Institute, Gopalganj; Duck Production Farm including Hatchery, Kotalipara, Gopalganj; Government Veterinary College, Belkuchi, Sirajganj; and Multichannel Slipway Dockyard Fisheries Port, Chattogram.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru and Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Md Raisul Alam Mondal spoke at the inaugural function conducted by Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman.