DHAKA, Oct 10 (IPS) – Bangladeshi businessman Kazi Inam Ahmed is constructing his dream in a village close to Rupsha River in Khulna, southern Bangladesh—to develop fish farming within the area, the place local weather change is lowering the ocean’s catch. He envisions creating small ponds, which might make use of native local weather affected fisherfolk, then exporting the worldwide high quality harvest to the Netherlands.
Inam, director of Gemcon Group, a conglomerate that features Gemcon Meals & Agricultural Merchandise Ltd, is making ready his challenge due to recommendation from specialists who visited lately from the Netherlands. “The Dutch co-partner of this challenge, Viqon Water Options, shared the preliminary design with us on 29 September. They’ll present us with the ultimate design in December. We’ll begin our civil works after getting the ultimate design.”
“For the primary one or two years we’ll begin fishing to realize expertise,” provides the businessman in an interview. “We’ll see which sorts yield higher harvests. After that, we’ll give attention to some species which are very fashionable in several nations and might earn export {dollars}. I’d like to begin with shrimp.”
How did Inam discover his dream? In November 2021, he was included as one of many private-sector representatives on a Bangladesh Authorities mission to the Netherlands, organized to develop the capability of the Ministry of Agriculture and foster matchmaking to strengthen the nation’s meals exports, agro-processing, meals security, and laboratory capability.
Organized by the Hand in Hand Initiative (HiH) of the UN Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO), the delegation, which included 5 different agro-food firms, was led by Bangladesh Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdur Razzaque. It visited areas together with the World Horticulture Centre, Wageningen College and Analysis, one of many world’s largest onion exporting firms, and a variety of different agricultural firms that develop and course of produce that’s exported globally.
Hand-in-Hand to enhance agriculture
In line with Robert D Simpson, FAO Consultant within the nation, “Bangladesh is a key nation for HiH. Working with the federal government and personal sector,” Simpson instructed IPS, “FAO develops worth chains for worthwhile commodities, builds agro-industries, environment friendly water administration techniques, and digital providers. The initiative additionally helps to cut back meals loss and waste, and handle local weather challenges and climate dangers.”
“The outcomes will probably be raised incomes, improved diet and well-being of poor and susceptible populations, and strengthened resilience to local weather change,” added Simpson.
HiH is an evidence-based, country-owned and led initiative of the FAO to speed up agricultural transformation, which additionally goals to eradicate poverty, finish starvation and malnutrition, and scale back inequalities. The initiative was supporting 52 nations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Center East as of Could 2022.
Talking on the finish of the November 2021 official journey, Razzaque stated that Bangladesh will profit from Dutch expertise and know-how. “To be aggressive within the international market by way of worth, high quality, and security, I feel it’s essential to maintain up to date with the newest expertise to be able to improve productiveness.”
“We’re trying ahead to seeing the result of this challenge,” added the minister. “Hopefully will probably be one of many profitable initiatives by the federal government and personal sector. The applied sciences which are coming to Bangladesh will assist deal with the influence of local weather change on agriculture.”
As well as, potato and onion specialists from the Netherlands will practice officers from the Division of Agriculture Extension (DAE), who will then practice native farmers.
FAO Bangladesh has additionally organized a number of workshops and conferences with personal sector and authorities officers to determine gaps and challenges for agricultural transformation.
French fries on the menu
ACI Agro was one other private-sector member of November’s delegation. “It was a powerful studying platform,” the agency’s managing director and CEO, Dr FH Ansarey, instructed IPS. “We have been trying to find an excellent potato variant. In Bangladesh there’s a huge marketplace for French fries however no variant to supply them. Fortunately we discovered an organization to assist with that.”
“We spoke with Schaap Holland, one of many distinguished potato seeds firms of the Netherlands. They agreed to ship six completely different variant potato seeds to our firm. Their potato variants are good for making good French fries.”
Ansarey stated ACI Agro has already situated a farming space close to the capital Dhaka. “If every thing is OK we’ll begin farming quickly. Their seeds are subsequent technology potatoes, which might develop inside 60-65 days. The price of cultivation is lower than three-four % of different variants attributable to low infestation of ailments. Seventy % of the potatoes are above 80 grams to allow them to be simply exported.”
“So I have to say it’s an excellent alternative for Bangladesh to maneuver into the following technology of farming in addition to grow to be a world exporter.”
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