Tk 7,000cr scheme for farm sector kicks off

The government will today launch a Tk 7,000 crore project to boost the commercialisation of farming and accelerate agricultural exports by facilitating the expansion of safe food production.

Mostly financed by the World Bank, the initiative aims to expand the cultivation of fruits and vegetables following Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to 3 lakh hectares of land, according to project officials.

The five-year project, which is the biggest of its kind till date, is scheduled for completion in June 2028.

The initiative also aims to expand the cultivation of climate resilient and high-yielding varieties of rice while also increasing the acreage of pulses, oilseeds and horticulture crops to 2 lakh hectares each.

In essence, the project was taken up in order to diversify the country's agricultural production and cut import dependence on key items, they said.

"We are seeing the transformation of agriculture as a form of subsistence to commercial farming," said Md Mizanur Rahman, coordinator of the Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience in Bangladesh (PARTNER).

"Through this programme, we want to give a push to fully commercialise our agriculture sector and increase its exports," he added.

Rahman informed that while activities under the programme have already started, it will officially kick off through a formal launch today.

The initiative comes at a time when Bangladesh is registering increased production of crops, particularly vegetables and other high value produce, as a section of people have taken up farming as a major source of income.

However, concerns remain regarding food safety as there are allegations of excessive application of pesticides.

As such, the country's fresh fruits and vegetables, despite increased production, are yet to enter regulated markets in a big way for a lack of compliance with GAPs.

"We will work to address the issues of non-compliance related to export," Rahman said.

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque is expected to inaugurate the inception workshop on the project at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in Dhaka today.

Under the scheme, which involves 15 organisations, an internationally accredited laboratory will be established while nine existing ones will be refurbished.

This will be done in order to ensure that items are shipped in compliance with the requirement of importing countries, said an official of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Additionally, the government aims to provide a "Krishak Smart Card" to each of the 2.27 crore registered farmers to provide various support, including extensions on finance and input subsidies.

The agriculture ministry also plans to introduce 200 vehicles as a part of its mobile crop clinic to provide support to farmers on the field through testing soil and crop disease.

"We also aim to help entrepreneurs engage in commercial agriculture," the DAE official added.

Under the initiative, training will be given to 20,000 youth and women entrepreneurs in commercial agriculture and agri-businesses, agricultural innovations and services, according to a project summary.

"We will also work on adopting improved and efficient irrigation technologies," Rahman said.

The agriculture ministry looks to promote the accreditation of seed certification and food safety testing processes while also modernising institutions and policies under the programme, the summary said.

Apart from the World Bank, which is providing $500 million credit for the programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development will give $43 million. The rest will come from the government coffers.

The scheme will be implemented in over 4,500 unions of around 495 upazilas in Bangladesh, it added.