Dhaka: Speakers at a webinar called for creating an enabling environment for investment in digital agriculture as well as internet-plus rural infrastructure and communication to boost knowledge intensity, and efficiency in production, processing, strengthening the linkage between primary production and agro-processing, and delivery of social, financial and technical services in rural areas.

The webinar titled ‘Post COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities for Entrepreneurship and Employment in Agro-based industry’ organized jointly by France-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCIFB) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority on Saturday, said a press release. 

Addressing the webinar as the chief guest, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Office Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus underscored the greater role for agro-based production and processing in post-COVID 19 economic recoveries and food security.

He said, schemes have been taken by the government covering all agro-based production and processing, including aquaculture and livestock to support commercial and entrepreneurial agriculture, especially to meet the credit needs of SMEs.

He further said that a special program has been approved by the Prime Minister for developing the food processing sector that will increase the contribution of agriculture to economic growth, employment, and export.

The Principal Secretary also said Bangladesh welcomes foreign collaboration including foreign investments in R&D and agro-based processing and also emphasized that Bangladesh believes in balanced trade cooperation between Bangladesh and France.

In his opening remarks, president of CCIFB Syed Mahmudul Huq said that agriculture in Bangladesh played the most important role in providing food security, creating jobs, generating income, and reducing poverty since independence. Currently, the share of agriculture in GDP is around 13 percent, while its share in employment is close to 40 percent indicating a much lower agricultural productivity.

He said the pandemic has further aggravated the situation with the migration of urban jobless workers and the overseas returning workers to the rural areas. In times of crisis, agriculture has always been the shock absorber—the savior. Whenever a crisis struck, as in the ongoing pandemic, we have returned to agriculture—for food and for livelihoods. He emphasized the combined efforts of the Government, the industry, and academia to make agriculture not only as of the guarantor of food security; but also, it emerges as an engine of growth for the overall economy.

The panelists at the webinar noted the job creation target for the sector should have a balanced mix so that the modernization of the sector goes hand in hand with the generation of job opportunities all along the value chains in the different sub-sectors of agriculture.

They also called for (i) investment in diploma and vocational education, and skills development to equip potential agricultural work-force, farmers, service providers and processors with new knowledge and skills; and (ii) revamping agricultural tertiary education curricula and pedagogy to promote academia and agro-industry partnership in R&D, internship and idea competition, and incubation and start-up programs for innovation, among others.

They also called for prioritization of agro-processing and export diversification by (i) creating production and processing zones for important agriculture and aquaculture export products through spatial planning and mapping, (ii) correcting existing mismatch and complexities of regulatory policies in importing raw materials and equipment for agro-industries, (iii) attracting further domestic and foreign corporate investments in primary production, processing and value additions, and (iv) creating platforms for public-private cooperation in branding and marketing of agro-products in export markets.

AKM Hafizullah Khan, Project Director, Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Project (ESDP), BIDA gave an overview of BIDA’s initiatives to promote employment and entrepreneurship under their Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Project.

He said that they would like to carry out training programs on the regulatory regime and business procedures to create entrepreneurs under the project in all 64 districts within the next two years to achieve the target of private investments up to 34% of GDP by the end of 7th Five Year Plan.

Emeritus Professor Dr. Sattar Mandal led the discussions on the role of agro-based industry in addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment in post-COVID-19.

The panel of discussants included Dr. F. H. Ansarey, Managing Director & CEO, ACI Agribusinesses, ACI Limited, Moshiur Rahman, Managing Director Paragon Group, Fawzia Yasmeen, Director, Ispahani Agro Limited, Dr. Md. Saleh Ahmed, Chairman, KERNEL Foundation, and former Consultant of World Bank and FAO, Dr. Asif Naimur Rashid, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Robi Axiata Limited, Md. Ashraful Alam, Country Project Coordinator, Shaping Inclusive Finance Transformation (SHIFT), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Eric Fajole, Director, Business France for South Asia and Dr. Mahfuzuddin Ahmed, former Adviser and Chief, Rural Development and Food Security, Asian Development Bank and former Director, World Fish.

BIDA Executive Chairman Md. Sirazul Islam, in his closing remarks, reiterated BIDA’s commitment to work with agro-industry stakeholders to increase investment and employment in agro-based industries. It was expected that BIDA, with active support from PMO, will convene policy dialogues, formulate actions and facilitate the agro-industrial transformation in coordination with key stakeholders in the government and private sectors.

In this regard, a high-level committee headed by PMO and coordinated by BIDA may be formed to advise on the future course of action for developing agro-based production, processing, value addition, and marketing.