The agriculture is the soul of Bangladesh economy. It is so because the majority of the population lives in the rural countryside. They are dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture. This is also the largest individual or private productive sector. The contribution of this agriculture to gross domestic product (GDP) as percentage is though gradually decreasing, the role of the sector as source of food and nutrition security, employment and economic growth is still the prominent one and its importance will remain so in the future. 

The farmers in Bangladesh while arranging for their own supply of food through the agricultural production, they also help the manpower increase their power of purchasing foodstuffs through employment. The farming community though could not ensure their full food security play a big role in food and nutrition security of the country. It is not possible to fully ensure food security by attaining self-sufficiency in food in this age of globalization; we have to lay greater stress on the production of basic food crops. The agro-based production will not rise and the food and nutrition security will not be strengthened unless the economic lot of those directly involved in the food production is improved. 

The agriculture is still the economic mainstay of Bangladesh in consideration of our food supply, nutrition security and employment opportunity. The contribution of the agriculture to our gross domestic production is (GDP) 20%. The prices of agricultural produces generally remain stable in the years of bumper production. If the agricultural production goes down below the normal, the price of the same goes up. The price and demand for the industrial commodities keep pace with the agricultural production. It goes up and down with the rise and fall in the prices of agricultural produce. And it raises the possibility of price fluctuations and dynamics of numerous economics dependent on agriculture leading also to the tendency of impairing the mutual balance. 48.1% of the manpower above 15 age's group is engaged in farming. The 68.1% of the women labour force is directly involved with agriculture. So the agriculture is not only the largest area of employment but it is also the major sector of women's participation and social dynamism. For the same reason again, the agriculture has the biggest role in the matter of poverty reduction also. The industry and the services sector whatever it is have flourished only through the development of agriculture. This is why the developed and developing countries all stress most on agriculture. 

The use of new technologies during recent few years deserve particular attention. The agricultural production witnesses manifold increase as it based on the technology. The cropping pattern has become intensive; the supply of nutrition for the people in general has gone up. This has accompanied increase in the income of the country folks dependent on agriculture and up-gradation of their living standard. So reasonably we can say that this sector is indeed playing a significant reduction of poverty. And importance of this could never have been over-emphasized. 

To raise agricultural production to a significant level we will need making available inputs like improved seed, fertilizer and insecticides etc. We need training for production management and the use of production technologies, marketing assistance for commodities thus produced. The quality seed is one basic element for better and increased farm production. It is not possible to raise production unless the quality of the seed is even better and improved. However better and improved are other inputs used would be of no avail. It is possible to raise production yield from 90 to 100 % using hybrid seed. The crops and vegetables thus produced are better in taste and flavor. Hybrid seeds are used for raising crops in the developed countries. Bangladesh has started giving greater stress, of late, in this respect. There has been rarely any notable research so far to innovate and produce hybrid seeds resistant to pests, disease and parasites suited to the climate and soil of Bangladesh.

Lal Teer Seed Limited has started full-fledged research for the first time in Bangladesh from 1995 in innovating and producing new breeds of high yielding and openly pollinated crop seeds. Alongside this, they are making worthwhile contributions to making, (hybrid) seeds. In addition, this company is also engaged in testing zone wise the effectiveness of their improved seeds in different regions of the country with soil and climate peculiarities. The object has been to determine which strains of seeds are better suited to a particular region. Lal Teer Seed Limited is currently engaged in development, production, processing, storage, packaging, marketing and distribution of newer developing, producing and marketing strains of all kinds of vegetables produced in Bangladesh. The company has thus established itself as a really integrated seed company in the country. This company is now marketing each kind of vegetable seeds and in its research bases and centres scientists are continually engaged in research work to develop high yielding hybrids of rice, wheat, corn, potato, oilseeds, jute, cotton and leguminous vegetable seeds.  The company thinks the development and production of improved strains of seeds and reaching them to the doors of farmers, in real sense, has been far a great service to the farmers in improving their financial lot. On the other hand, this is certain to complement the overall economy of the country and for food and nutrition security.
 

Abdul Awal Mintoo
Chairman
Lal Teer Seed Limited