[🇧🇩] Agriculture in Bangladesh

[Saif]

Agriculture product exports rise in July-Sept

Bangladesh’s agricultural product exports in the July-September period of the financial year 2024-25 increased slightly while the shipment of vegetables witnessed a sharp decline in the period...

www.newagebd.net

Agriculture product exports rise in July-Sept
Staff Correspondent 13 October, 2024, 23:02

A file photo shows farmers collecting cucumbers from a field at village Subachani in Munshiganj. Bangladesh’s agricultural product exports in the July-September period of the financial year 2024-25 increased slightly while the shipment of vegetables witnessed a sharp decline in the period. | Focusbangla photo

Bangladesh’s agricultural product exports in the July-September period of the financial year 2024-25 increased slightly while the shipment of vegetables witnessed a sharp decline in the period.

Exporters said that the country’s vegetables export faced trouble in the past three years due to increased freight costs.

They also expressed hope that the exports would gain in the coming months as the freight costs started decreasing.

According to Export Promotion Bureau data, Bangladesh’s agricultural product exports in the first quarter of FY25 increased by 3.18 per cent to $264.76 million compared with those of $256.61 million in the same period of FY24.

The EPB data showed that Bangladesh’s vegetables exports in July-September of FY25 decreased by 63.68 per cent to $17.21 million compared with those of $47.38 million in the same period of fY24.

‘We the vegetables exporters have been struggling with the growing freight costs for more than three years,’ Mohammad Monsur, chairman of the FBCCI standing committee on import and export of fruits and vegetables, told New Age on Sunday.

He also identified lack of adequate cargo space for perishable goods, shortage of scanners at the country’s airports and increased production costs of agricultural products as the other reasons for declining vegetables exports.

Monsur, however, said that the shipment of vegetables increased slightly in the past one month as the freight costs started decreasing.

In the first quarter of the FY25, export earnings from agricultural products showed a positive growth due to the increased shipment of fruits, he said.

The government data showed that the country’s fruits exports in July-September of FY25 increased by 472.76 per cent to $16.61 million compared with those of $2.90 million in the same period of the previous financial year.

Export earnings from dry food in the period increased by 7.71 per cent to $51.41 million.

Monsur said that Bangladesh had struggled to capture its potential market share for vegetable exports in key markets such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He said that competitor countries, including India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, were able to send low-cost vegetables with lower freight costs, putting Bangladesh at a disadvantage situation.​

 

[Saif]

How an energy transition can secure our food production

The growing energy intensity of an increasingly mechanised agriculture sector brings together food and energy in a delicate nexus.

www.thedailystar.net

How an energy transition can secure our food production

Energy intensity of the agriculture sector has been going on over several decades, spurred by both market forces and supportive government policy. FILE PHOTO: STAR

The economic shift and modernisation in Bangladesh have brought about a demographic transition and impacted the country's energy sector, agriculture and labour market. Due to a steady urban migration trend, the rural population growth declined since 2015, and the share of rural population has fallen from 76 percent in 2000 to 60 percent of the total population in 2022 (World Bank, 2024). Fertility has dropped remarkably with the current annual population growth rate being 1.1 percent. Besides, a study published in The Lancet indicates that the country's population will reach half the current level by the end of the century (Vollset et al, 2020).

At the same time, sustained economic growth is projected to boost energy consumption. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, Bangladesh will become the 20th biggest economy in the world by 2037, leading to an increase in energy demand from higher industrial productivity and consumer spending. The shifts in demographic structure and projected economic growth have important implications for energy consumption, food production and land use that must be considered holistically.

The first implication is the decline in the rural labour force, particularly in the agriculture sector. The share of the labour force of the country employed in the agriculture sector has fallen from 61 percent in 2000 to 37 percent in 2022 (World Bank, 2024). While the share of the population employed in agriculture is still quite high compared to the falling contribution of this sector to the GDP (Byron, 2023), the remedy to this low-value addition is to increase mechanisation in agriculture to increase the productivity per worker, along with their earnings potential. Indeed, the mechanisation and energy intensity of the agriculture sector has been going on over several decades, spurred by both market forces and supportive government policy. The government has been subsidising diesel and agricultural machinery and allowing tax-free imports of the machinery. With rising prices of scarce agricultural labour, farmers turn to machinery, particularly during the short and busy harvesting season. The mechanisation of agriculture also increases food security by reducing crop spoilage, as it allows emergency rapid harvesting of crops before the onset of floods or other adverse climate events, especially in the Haor areas of Sylhet. The scope of mechanisation encompasses tillage, weeding, seeding, spraying, rice transplanting, harvesting, threshing, winnowing, and of course irrigation, all of which depended on diesel-fuelled machinery. This market is constantly increasing, and along with it the demand for fuel and electricity. The agriculture sector has emerged as the second biggest consumer of petroleum, after the transport sector.

The growing energy intensity of an increasingly mechanised agriculture sector brings together food and energy in a delicate nexus. The threat to food security from interruptions to global supply chains was identified during Covid, and this caused the government to increase subsidies for agricultural machinery (Bhuyan, 2020). Moreover, following the onset of the Ukraine war, the prices of petroleum products in the global market have increased, leading to rising prices of natural gas-based fertilisers and increasing the cost of food production (Baffes and Koh, 2022). The global energy supply disruptions revealed how threats to energy security can affect food production from two angles, firstly by increasing the cost of energy-intensive mechanised processes in agriculture, and secondly by increasing the cost of fertilisers that are necessary to increase crop yield. Around six percent of the total gas consumed in Bangladesh is by the fertiliser industry, as per a 2023 report by the power, energy and mineral resources ministry.

Given the close food-energy nexus, food security now hinges on self-sufficiency in energy supply. Diversifying the energy mix of Bangladesh by making it less dependent on imported fuels can promote food security. This is where renewable energy can play a crucial role. Renewable energy could contribute to securing the food-energy nexus and reduce economic risks in several ways. Renewable power plants—after the initial one-off capital investment in plant machinery and equipment—can generate electricity using natural energy sources like solar or wind energy without requiring the input of costly fuels. More renewable power also means scarce gas resources can instead be used for the fertiliser industry.

Bangladesh has significant potential for solar and wind energy, and these can promote energy security and also contribute to food security. Renewable energy resources like solar power require land use, and Bangladesh has restrictions regarding the use of agricultural land for other purposes. However, energy-intensive mechanised agriculture can actually increase crop productivity even in limited agricultural land. Research has demonstrated that energy poverty can hamper agricultural productivity, directly by reducing mechanisation, and indirectly by diverting the rural workforce to other sectors which enjoy more energy input (Shi et al, 2022).

Energy and food production are not competing but rather complementary objectives. With proper and careful planning, energy transition combined with food security considerations can help both climate change mitigation and national adaptation. It is therefore imperative to have a clear strategic direction for the food-energy nexus to harness their synergy for the sustainable socio-economic development of the country.

Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury is the director of Centre for Energy Research at United International University.​

 

[Saif]

Need for speedy disbursement of farm loan

The news that loan disbursement for agriculture has registered a 27 per cent fall is quite concerning. Much as the reason behind the decline in the disbursement of farm loan may be strong, any reversal in agricultural output due to this will only lead to an undesirable food status for the country.

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Need for speedy disbursement of farm loan
FE
Published :
Oct 30, 2024 22:17
Updated :
Oct 30, 2024 22:17

The news that loan disbursement for agriculture has registered a 27 per cent fall is quite concerning. Much as the reason behind the decline in the disbursement of farm loan may be strong, any reversal in agricultural output due to this will only lead to an undesirable food status for the country. Agriculture is one area that has worked wonder thanks to a cumulative effort by both agricultural scientists and an equally appreciable response by farmers to rise up to the challenge. The country now produces about 40 million metric tonnes of rice--- the main staple of the population---a phenomenal increase from 16.8 million in 1995. Although the official figures are suspect, there is no doubt that agriculture has achieved near self-sufficiency in the production of paddy. But it is the diversity in crop production and greater success in other agri-food sector that have made a difference in food and nutrition availability for its people. Its total agricultural output including the major crops, vegetables and fruits now stands at about 72 million tonnes.

So, any assumption that delayed extension of agricultural loan will not affect the cultivation of boro that is yet to begin is misplaced. Many farmers have shifted to commercial farming of cash crops and even exotic fruits because they earn more profit from those than from paddy. Cultivation of vegetables and fruits goes round the year and if they cannot go for early cultivation and harvesting of their crops, their profit declines. This year's prolonged floods have caused an unprecedented farming adversity in many areas. But there are other areas not affected by floods where farmers must not be given any reason to rue over the missed opportunity because of the late disbursement of farm credit. Even in some affected areas where water has receded quickly, the inundation has brought special opportunities for farmers to go about their cultivation of choice crops. They deserve farm loans on a priority basis.

Let it be noted here that compared to crop production, other areas of agri-food sector have, of late, grown at higher rates. Against 2.9 per cent of annual growth of crop, livestock has grown at 3.9 per cent and the fisheries and forestry have surged to more than 5.0 per cent growth a year. The floods that ravaged Sylhet, Noakahli and Cumilla ended up causing irreparable damage to livestock there. Cattle and buffaloes were washed away and farmers had to dispose of their domestically raised chickens and ducks cheaply. Without financial support they cannot piece together their means of livelihoods on top of their annual staple production.

The fact is if the country's farmers survive, the nation also survives. They have so long successfully fed the nation and they must be given financial support including farm loans in order to rebuild their occupation and life. Some industries have received overriding incentive packages which may have served the interests of the more privileged but at the same time contributed to social inequality. Farmers' requirements need to be prioritised in the interest of the country's food security. Increasing natural calamities including the latest cyclonic storm Dana under which the standing Aman paddy has been badly affected in many areas are a pointer that the farming community needs all kinds of support including technological, consultative and infrastructural.​

 

[Saif]

Govt raises paddy, rice purchase rates for current Aman season

The government will pay higher prices to buy paddy and rice during the current Aman season, the harvest of which has already begun in rural areas.

www.thedailystar.net

Govt raises paddy, rice purchase rates for current Aman season

The government procurement process for the current Aman harvest will begin on November 17 and continue until mid-March. The photo was taken from Islampur village of Tetulia in Panchagarh on Tuesday. Photo: Habibur Rahman

The government will pay higher prices to buy paddy and rice during the current Aman season, the harvest of which has already begun in rural areas.

Amid rice prices edging up in local markets and concerns over the paddy output, this decision was made by the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) yesterday.

Farmers will receive Tk 33 per kilogramme for paddy if they supply the grain to public warehouses following specific quality standards. This price is 10 percent higher than what they received for selling their produce to the food directorate during the previous Aman procurement.

Besides, the government will purchase parboiled rice, the most widely consumed grain in Bangladesh, from millers at a 7 percent higher rate of Tk 47 per kilogramme.

This decision comes at a time when staple food prices have been rising, exceeding last year's levels. There is also concern about reduced Aman yields due to decreased cultivation areas and crop damage caused by repeated flooding in the eastern region.

Yesterday, the FPMC, an inter-ministerial committee responsible for monitoring the country's overall food situation and advising on food security policies, decided to purchase 3.5 lakh tonnes of paddy this season.

Finance and Commerce Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed chaired the meeting at the secretariat.

This target is 75 percent higher than the original purchase of 2 lakh tonnes during the Aman harvest in 2023.

However, the government has reduced its parboiled rice purchase plan for this year to 5.5 lakh tonnes, a 14 percent decrease from the 6.4 lakh tonnes bought by the Directorate General of Food during the previous Aman season.

Besides, the food ministry will purchase 1 lakh tonnes of sunned rice this year at Tk 45 per kilogramme.

The procurement process for the current Aman harvest will begin on November 17 and continue until mid-March, according to a statement from the food ministry.

The food ministry purchased 21.6 lakh tonnes of rice domestically in FY24, an 11.3 percent increase from the previous year.

During the current FY25, the government has a food budget to procure 19.33 lakh tonnes from domestically grown food grains out of its total procurement plan of 29.83 lakh tonnes, according to the finance ministry.

The government has allocated Tk 16,678 crore to buy rice and wheat from the domestic and international markets to carry out various social safety net schemes.

The allocation to buy food grains is 6 percent higher from the revised budget of the previous year.​

 

[Saif]

Core dimensions of food security

THE comprehensive and evidence-based report on food security and nutrition in Bangladesh by the International Food Policy Research Institute can be very useful for policymaking...

www.newagebd.net

Core dimensions of food security
by Abdul Bayes 12 November, 2024, 00:00

New Age/ Mehedi Haque

THE comprehensive and evidence-based report on food security and nutrition in Bangladesh by the International Food Policy Research Institute can be very useful for policymaking. It focuses on the core dimensions of availability, access, and utilisation. The main objectives of the report are to expose the current state of food security with attendant attributes and suggest ways and means to the development of policies.

The availability of and access to food are being considered as important elements of food security in a conventional context. But the authors include a third condition for a healthy life, the effective biological utilisation of food. Of course that depends on a number of other factors, such as the health and sanitation environment and household or public capacity to care for vulnerable members of society.

Admittedly, the growing population of Bangladesh is straining its agricultural resources. A large population of about 170 million people, with 1,151 people per square kilometre, puts immense pressure on agricultural resources, thus making it challenging to keep pace with the country’s growing food needs. Over the past decade, agricultural growth has been modest (3–4 per cent) compared to stronger growth in national gross domestic product (6–8 per cent). IFPRI has estimated that growth in the agricultural sector is 3.1 times more effective in reducing poverty than equivalent growth in nonagricultural sectors of the economy. Ipso facto, a comprehensive as well as aggressive approach that promotes yield-increasing technological change and a shift to higher-value agricultural production is essential for enhanced agricultural growth and faster poverty reduction.

Disparities in land ownership tend to persist. Roughly 60 per cent of rural households are landless, ranging from about 50 per cent in Khulna division to about 70 per cent in Chattogram. It could be observed that 40 per cent of all farm households were ‘pure’ tenants, and about 36 per cent cultivated only their own land. Most of Bangladesh’s agricultural land is used for monocropping; rice production alone accounts for nearly three-quarters of the country’s gross cropped area.

Despite more than 100 modern rice varieties released over the past few decades, 70 per cent of farmers grow just two popular rice varieties in boro season: BRRI Dhan 28 and BRRI Dhan 29, both of which were released three decades ago. Salinity in both surface and groundwater largely explains the low level of irrigation coverage in coastal regions. Grain yields have increased significantly over time. In Bangladesh, maize is primarily grown for human consumption but also as a key feed ingredient for poultry, livestock, and fish. Fruit leads in profitability, while wheat and rice have the lowest margins. Fruit production has the highest gross margin, followed by flowers and vegetables. By contrast, wheat has the lowest profitability, followed by rice. Crop diversification is low, with most farmers only cultivating rice.

Most rural households do not produce enough rice to feed themselves. Overall, one-quarter of rural households were net sellers of rice. Against this backdrop, 74 per cent of rural households were net buyers; their consumption exceeded production and relied on purchasing additional rice.

Bangladesh relies heavily on imported fertilisers, making it vulnerable to price fluctuations and global supply disruptions because only a quarter of fertiliser comes from domestic sources. ‘Access to finance is essential for farmers to invest in productive resources, enhance agricultural productivity, and provide a cushion against economic shocks. However, financial access remains constrained, particularly for smallholder farmers, who face significant obstacles in obtaining formal financing from banks’. So, farmers turn to higher-cost credit sources with high interest rates and less favourable repayment terms.

Limited access to agricultural extension hinders development. Unfortunately, many farmers in Bangladesh, especially smallholders, lack access to support such as essential knowledge, skills, and techniques to enhance their agricultural practice. Although marginal and small-scale farmers constitute the largest share of farmers in Bangladesh, contact with agricultural extension officials among these groups is very low and considerably less than for medium- and large-scale farmers. For example, about 23 per cent of all farmers received extension services in 2018–19.

Farm mechanisation holds significant potential to address labour shortages. Since the mid-2000s, real rural wages have increased significantly, which has reduced farmers’ profitability. Mechanisation has been sweeping the sector over time. The fisheries subsector signalled robust growth and share in GDP but bedevilled due to reduced productivity growth from high feed costs and declines in the fish export trade. The livestock subsector has experienced steady growth hovering around 3 per cent in the recent couple of years.

Poverty has declined substantially over time, and those living below the lower poverty line, or extreme poverty, also decreased dramatically, accounting for roughly 6 per cent. This decline has been especially pronounced in rural areas. Increases in income have improved access to food; real agricultural wages have risen sharply since 2006. By 2020, the rice-equivalent wage had risen to about 14 kilogram of rice. However, since 2021, the situation has changed for the worse. The rice-equivalent wage declined, averaging around 11 kilogram of rice per day through 2023. Food inflation surged in July 2024 amid political upheaval. In July 2024, food inflation reached a record high of 14.1 per cent, driven largely by major disruptions to the food supply chain. This surge occurred amid a nationwide student-led movement that disrupted logistics, transportation, and food distribution networks. The growing public discontent culminated in the fall of the Awami League-led government on August 5.

Following the government’s collapse, activists curtailed local extortion activities, which had previously added costs for traders and distributors. With these pressures lifted, retail food prices began to decrease in August 2024, easing inflation as supply chains normalised. However, food inflation continues to cripple consumers amidst deteriorating law and order situations.

The IFPRI report discusses trends in rice yield, social safety nets, malnutrition, and other important aspects and provides policy prescriptions for each type of constraint that grips agriculture and food security. The report should be useful for the new government when making new policies on food security.

Abdul Bayes, a former professor of economics and vice chancellor at Jahangirnagar University, is now an adjunct faculty member at East West University.​

 

[Saif]

'A farmer can be an entrepreneur with access to credit'

Says Prof Yunus terming credit a human right

www.thedailystar.net

'A farmer can be an entrepreneur with access to credit'
Says Prof Yunus terming credit a human right

Photo: PID

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday said credit is a human right as it relates to the livelihood of people.

"You can not establish the right of livelihood without ensuring the right to credit," said the chief adviser.

He made the comments while speaking to a side event at the COP29 in Azerbaijan capital Baku.

Bangladesh and the Netherlands jointly hosted the event titled A Global Conversation: Access to Finance for Small Scale Farmers at the Bangladesh Pavilion of the conference.

Additional Foreign Secretary Riaz Hamidullah moderated the event, which was also attended by Dutch Prince Jaime Bernardo of Bourbon-Parma, also the climate envoy of the Netherlands.

The Dutch prince highlighted how credit, insurance, investment, research, and finance increased agricultural output while insisting that millions of farmers across the globe now needed this support.

Speaking at the event, Yvonne Pinto, the director general of the International Rice Research Institute, said that rice production grew globally ever since credit was made accessible to farmers.

Jorim Schraven, a director of the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO, hailed Professor Yunus for the moral support he extended on debt rights, adding it was related to people's rights to know.

Farhana Haque Rahman, senior vice president of Inter Press Service and Executive Director IPS Noram, said that currently, 550 million small household farmers feed two billion people around the world.

Professor Yuunus said a farmer can be an entrepreneur if he or she is given access to credit.

"Every business needs money and investment," he said, adding that a farmer not only grows crops but also sells them to market.

If he was given access to credit, he could buy crops from other farmers and sell them to improve his life, said Professor Yunus, who is hailed globally as a microcredit pioneer.

The chief adviser said countries should redesign the banking system by following the Grameen Bank model to make credit accessible to farmers, a considerable number of whom are women.

"Every country should have a social business banking law," he said, while appreciating that currently at least 110 universities across the globe are teaching social business as a course.​

 

[Bilal9]

Bangladesh globally second in freshwater fish production, outranking China for the first time​

This information came up in the latest report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations.

Iftekhar Mahmud
Dhaka

Capture fisheries production

Blue Transformation is a vision for transforming aquatic-based food systems as a recognized solution for food security and environmental well-being

openknowledge.fao.org

There is good news for the fish-loving population of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has moved up from third to second position globally in freshwater fish production. China, which was in the second position last time, has slipped to the third rank. India is on top of all in this list.

This information came up in the report ‘The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024’ on global fishery resources, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations Saturday. The report is based on information from 2022. This report is published every two years.

Basically, the production of fish from rivers, beels, haors and open water has been taken into account in that report. However, when counted the farming done in ponds and other water bodies Bangladesh slid two notches from third to the fifth position this time.

Bangladesh had ranked third in FAO report of 2022. Earlier than that, Bangladesh was in fifth position for five consecutive years from 2016 to 2020.

When asked, for what specific reasons Bangladesh moved ahead in freshwater fish farming Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) director general Md Zulfikar Ali told Prothom Alo, “Bangladesh is protecting its open waters.”

Bangladesh has ascended to second position globally in open water fish production for taking initiative in facilitating hilsa breeding and protecting jatka (small hilsa). However, other small and medium sized verities of fish should also be given protection during the breeding season.

Abdul Wahab, professor, Bangladesh Agricultural University

“At the same time, from creating hilsa sanctuaries and banning hilsa fishing during the breeding season other fish varieties are also being protected alongside hilsa. As a success for these initiatives we have progressed even further in fish production,” he added.

According to BFRI records, Bangladesh has produced total 4.8 million (48 lakh) tonnes of fish last year (2023). Out of that, 3.2 million (32 lakh) was produced in farms, 1.3 million (13 lakh) tonnes was acquired from freshwater and the remaining portion was collected from the sea. Notably, half of the fish produced from the open waters was indeed hilsa. In 2023, Bangladesh produced total 650,000 (6.5 lakh) tonnes of hilsa only.

As per the records of this government organisation, there are 261 varieties of fish in the open waters of the country. The scientists at BFRI has invented artificial breeding and advanced farming methods for 40 of these varieties. In addition to ponds, planned farming of these fishes is going on in beels and rivers as well, which in turn is helping increase country’s fish production.

According to several related reports, almost 20 million (2 crore) people of this country are involved in fish farming and trading. Back in 1990, per capita fish consumption was 7.5 kg which has now reached the bar of 30 kg.
Also Read

Bangladesh globally ranks third in fish farming​

23 Nov 2022

Bangladesh has moved up from third to second position globally in freshwater fish production.Representational image

11.7 per cent of world’s freshwater fish is in Bangladesh​

According to FAO report, Bangladesh produces 1.32 million (13.22 lakh) tonnes of freshwater fish which amounts to 11.7 per cent of world’s total fish production. According to the previous report, Bangladesh’s contribution was 11 per cent.

With a production of 1.89 million (18.9 lakh) tonnes, India has climbed to the top of that list this time. Meanwhile, China with a production of 1.16 (11.66 lakh) has slithered down to the third position. After China, there are Myanmar, Indonesia and Uganda in line.

The report has been prepared with the records of fish produced in every country of the world in 2022. It stated that the production of freshwater fish in Bangladesh was 440,000 (4.4 lakh) tonnes back in 1980. It rose to 1.25 million (12.5 lakh) tonnes in 2020.

Pointing out reasons behind the decline of fish produced from open water in China, the report stated that the country produced 2.2 million (22 lkah) tonnes of fish from these sources in 2017.

However, fishing in Yangtze River, one of the major sources of fish in the country was banned for 10 years in 2020. The fish resources of that river were running out due to excessive extraction.

Global fish production broke all-time records in 2022. Total 22.3 million (22.32 crore) tonnes of fish was produced that year, which is 4.4 per cent higher than that of 2020. It’s worth USD 313 billion.

So, efforts are being made to increase that resource again. That’s why the total fish production of China has been declining for the past two years.

It has been mentioned in the report that most of the countries in the world that are leading in freshwater and farmed fish production are from the Asian continent. Fish farming is more common in the low and medium income countries of this region.

Especially, there is a favourable environment for collecting and farming freshwater fish in China, India, Vietnam and Cambodia for there being more rivers and wetlands there. Fish is playing a vital role in creating livelihood opportunities and meeting nutritional requirement of the residents there.

In representing the overall situation of fishery resources in the world, the report stated that global fish production broke all-time records in 2022. Total 22.3 million (22.32 crore) tonnes of fish was produced that year, which is 4.4 per cent higher than that of 2020. It’s worth USD 313 billion.

Protect small and medium fish varieties also​

Meanwhile, Bangladesh stood 14th in marine fish production. The country has also made quite a progress in this sector as Bangladesh’s position was 25th in the previous report. And, Bangladesh occupies the ninth position when it comes to crab farming only.

Bangladesh is protecting the open waters. At the same time, from creating hilsa sanctuaries and banning hilsa fishing during the breeding season other fish verities are also being protected alongside hilsa. As a success for these initiatives we have progressed even further in fish production.

Md Zulfikar Ali, director general, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI)
Quite a few countries have set up examples in environment protection and in waste management in case of fish farming. They are using low-cost technologies such as removing the waste through drains and other technologies for repurposing that.

Use of those technologies started from China and now Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico, Uzbekistan and Egypt are following in their steps.

The report stated that Egypt in Africa alongside Bangladesh and Vietnam in Asia has set an example in the area of increasing farmed fish production. In these countries, more than 50 per cent of peoples’ protein requirement is being met from fish.

When asked, professor Abdul Wahab of Bangladesh Agricultural University told Prothom Alo that Bangladesh has ascended to second position globally in open water fish production for taking initiative in facilitating hilsa breeding and protecting jatka (small hilsa).

However, other small and medium sized verities of fish in the haors and beels of the country should also be given protection during the breeding season. This way it will be possible to increase the production of nutritious small fish even more. Simultaneously, initiatives have to be taken to increase the production and collection of marine fish resources as well, he added.

*This report appeared in the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Nourin Ahmed Monisha.

 

[Saif]

The agriculture startup: A stepping stone for Bangladesh 2.0

Culturally, in Bangladesh, where instant gratification is preferred, agriculture startups could spark interest through their comparatively low investment costs and swift returns.

www.thedailystar.net

The agriculture startup: A stepping stone for Bangladesh 2.0

Low wages, local syndicates, reluctance of the private sector, insufficient funding, unexpected natural calamities, scanty amount of governmental support, skyscraping transportation expenses, and some other issues continue to intensify the frustrations of farmers day by day. PHOTO: STAR

Agriculture, one of the most dynamic sectors of our country, has faced challenges and monopolistic syndicates since the country's independence when its contribution to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) stood around 60 percent. By 2010, this figure dropped to 17 percent and, after nearly a one percent reduction every two years, stabilised at 12.7 percent in 2020.

Following that, last year, it further declined to 11.20 percent. In line with the international trend, obsessing over industrialisation results in the country's strong suit —agricultural strengths — being left behind. However, agricultural startups like iFarmer, ShobjiGram, Agroshift, and Freshie Farm, have been inspiring people from diverse backgrounds to explore this unconventional yet viable path. Surprisingly, many of these startups' founders lack formal agriculture backgrounds . They simply realised that the country's most flourishing sector was being overlooked for a long period, and saw it as high time to revisit the sector.

In rural areas, almost every labourer has basic knowledge of primitive forms of farming. Yet, exiguous wages in less-facilitated traditional farms oblige them to switch agriculture jobs. On the other hand, in recent times, agriculture startups usually prefer a B2C (Business-to-Consumer) model to sell their products. Consequently, it reduces the intermediaries, and their possibility of defending the local syndicates tends to be higher than others. As a result, it enables startups to sell quality products to customers at the market price. On the other hand, it also enables them to hire labourers at fair wages. This is why experienced workers' participation in agriculture startups is eye-catching. Experienced workers are behind the scenes of improbable outputs within a relatively short time in agriculture startups, which were suppressed in the loop of local syndicates for a long time.

"Suppose a new pest starts to ruin your cornfield. Your first point of contact should be the district agriculture officer. But interestingly, you will never find them because they haven't been at the office for two or three years," stated Muntasir Hafiz, co-founder and CEO of ShobjiGram, in an interview. Several government-run agriculture research centres have existed for a significant period of time in Bangladesh. However, thoughtheir research achievement is remarkable, implementation in the country is negligible. We often see agriculture officers conducting training sessions for grassroot farmers only on television; in real life, these are rare. Low wages, local syndicates, reluctance of the private sector, insufficient funding, unexpected natural calamities, scanty amount of governmental support, skyscraping transportation expenses, and some other issues continue to intensify the frustrations of farmers day by day, leading to striking cultivable lands remaining abandoned in almost every district.

Now, Vietnam is known as an "Agriculture Powerhouse" and a core competitor of Bangladesh in the agriculture sector. Vietnam's farming sector is diversified, with items like rice, nuts, fruits, and fish—nearly similar to our country. Despite this, Bangladesh struggles to prosper due to the lack of national interest in this particular sector. Many of us still regard white-collar jobs as respectable professions, regardless of whether there is social encouragement or not.Meanwhile, choosing a profession that requires working in a muddy field with farmers to ensure there is food on your dining table is discouraged. In contrast, the Vietnamese government, along with the private sectors, have embraced new farming methods, modern technology, and proper infrastructure—successfully illustrating their country as a global agricultural model.

In his book A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government, urges the youth to break the chain of inequality, massive unemployment, and environmental destruction in this world.

Culturally, in Bangladesh, where instant gratification is preferred, agriculture startups could spark interest through their comparatively low investment costs and swift returns. Furthermore, a thriving agriculture startup sector would contribute to other visions of DrYunus. This Nobel laureate's perspective also breaks apart the narrow mindset of those who think cultivating and grazing is a fragile profession. The success of iPAGE, a United Nations award-winning Bangladeshi startup that aids farmers through securing information, technology, training, and services for farmers, also highlight the viability of this approach. This startup also works on reducing negative impacts on climate and the environment.

As farming sector investment does not require a brokerage house hassle, and with a BO (Beneficiary Owner) account maintenance and 24/7 data-driven awareness like the stock market, the farming sector can be more effective for investors. Conversely, investors cannot sell their agricultural shares anytime like the stock market due to its lack of liquidity. Despite this, agriculture startups still offer convenient investment opportunities.

In 2022, Agroshift raised $1.8 million, and iFarmer raised $2.1 million in funding. Moreover, Freshie Farm offers projectile investment where investors can trace the project performance through the website and app. Fashol, another agri-tech startup, raised $1 million in pre-seed funding last year.

However, no country can keep pace in the global run by only focusing on agricultural progression. Technology and advancement in industrialisation are equally crucial. Indeed, the ignorance of existing agriculture expertise might cost lifelong compensation. When you cannot breathe fresh air, your city is unsuitable for living, and the country's experienced farmers are unwillingly choosing inhumane professions like paddling rickshaws, technology startups alone can seem like a luxury. Supporting the farmers through agriculture startups, alongside environment-friendly industrialisation and relevant digitalisation, can ease the pathway toward a self-sufficient Bangladesh.

Faizur Rahman Khandaker is content writing intern at NSU Startups Next of North South University.​