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Agro Industry                                                                       REAPING
                                                                                                  THE BENEFITS





 percent—as opposed to manufacturing (7.5%)   farmers has been replaced by some middle-men   Axial Flow Pumps Acceleration  Financial Innovation.
 and the services sector (6.2%).  in recent years. In addition, this sector is
 Nevertheless, even though the relative   hindered by extensive pressure on arable land,   The axial flow pump is an inexpensive surface water irrigation   Farmers tend to have fluctuating seasonal
 significance of income and employment from   unjust prices, inadequate access to inputs and   technology that can lower costs up to 50 percent at areas   revenue. Even though there are various
 agriculture has fallen in Bangladesh, the   resources, and climate change risks.  where the water source is close to the field surface, and   Microfinance Institutions (MFI), that support
 absolute contribution has increased. On   therefore is easy to pump up to irrigate fields.  farmers in accessibility of farm equipment,
 average there has been a 40 percent increase   Seasons of Challenge  and state-subsidized purchase options, there
 over the last few years. Additionally, a   Expediting Extraction  exists no national organization or entity that
 significant fraction of the underprivileged rely   Vegetables, fruits and other perishable   produces and sells machinery at below-market
 on agriculture as the principal source of   agriproducts traders strongly believe that   Groundwater extraction is another common approach to   prices. During peak planting season, the
 income and employment. Indirect agricultural   Bangladesh can earn much more than $1   irrigation in much of South Asia. This low-energy and   increased demand for machinery rentals
 dependence is revealed through employment in   billion from agriproduct export and opine that   low-carbon emissions surface water substitute can assist in   skyrockets significantly and this impacts
 agro-centric services and rural businesses.   the country's optimal potential has been   lowering high energy costs, as well as, decreasing present   eventual output.
 Moreover, Agriculture provides basic raw   reached.  health risks due to natural arsenic contamination of
 materials for industrial processing and many   Chief complaints arise in the area that   groundwater in Bangladesh.  The Genetic Factor
 agro-processing industries are fully dependent   exporters do have the proper policies
 on agriculture for basic raw materials which   fruits, vegetables, tobacco, tea, cut flowers and also, spices.  assistance. Moreover, limited availability of   Reaping Success  High-Yielding Varieties (HYV) are integral in   Geospatial Guardianship
 include jute, fruit juice, spices, rice milling,   Farmers through the Ages  cargo space remains another hindrance to carry   securing cropping intensity, which is over
 sugar, tea, edible oil, tobacco, jute textiles,   According to the latest statistics from the 2016-2017 Labor   out business activities internationally.   Reapers allow farmers to cope with increasing labor shortage   190%. They also are important in maintaining   Monitoring of farms and fisheries through satellite technology
 cotton textiles, starch and others which are   Force Survey by BBS, a total of 22.7 million people involved in   Exporters suggest that trade revenue will   by mechanically harvesting and planting the next season’s   the output levels of integral crops such as   can assist in international compliance, as well as pave the way
 considered to be cash crops for the country. As   agriculture, 45% are women and of all women in the labor   increase in Bangladesh from the agriculture   crops. The two-wheeled mechanical reaper is particularly   Boro rice in the path towards sustainable   for online agro-insurance premiums verification (and
 such agriculture can serve as an influential   market, they constitute almost 73 percent  sector. The government individually or in   popular in Bangladesh and can save farmers 30 percent of   self-sufficiency. Genetically Modified   payment) if coupled with artificial intelligence. This would
 driving force to not only increase livelihoods,   Bumper Crop  conjunction with the private sector can install   their usual harvesting costs.  Organisms (GMO) offer a solution to climate   bring in much needed insurance coverage to farmers without
 but also the whole economy of Bangladesh.  more processing plants, packaging facilities,   change prone Bangladesh by engineering crop   long delays while also bringing increased confidence of
 Rice production in Bangladesh was around 12 million metric   packing houses, hygienic cargo villages,   Drilling Dividends  varieties that are resistant to weather   international buyers.
 tons in the late 1970s. It has now increased to more than 36   improved infrastructures at airports and more   conditions, pests, flooding and/or saline
 Bangladesh’s $1 Billion Export   million metric tons. Wheat contributed nearly 2 million metric   air cargo facilities.  Seed fertilizer drills till, plant and fertilize crops in lines   intrusion. Bangladesh’s first local GMO, Bt   Digital Crowdfunding
 Milestone  tons around just before the new century set in. The yield later   By contrast, according to local newspaper   concurrently and with greater accuracy. These drills are   Brinjal, was launched in 2014 and a 2019
 dwindled to nearly 700,000 million metric tons in around   reports, officials at the Ministry of Agriculture   frequently used as attachments on two-wheeled tractors and   Institute of Food Policy Research (IFPRI) study   Enabling blockchain-enabled peer-to-peer lending would pave
 Bangladesh’s earnings from agricultural   2006-2007 while maize has steadily grown to around 3.5   can also allow farmers to plant using conservation agriculture   showed that Bt Brinjal farmers benefitted from   the way for a digital platform to facilitate crowdfunding of
 products grew multifold in the last 12 years   million metric tons by 2018-2019. Crops for which yield   and Department of Agricultural Extension have   practices like strip tilling (a system that tills only small strips   a 55 percent rise in revenues, increasing net   farming activity so that farmers can find more funding
 stated that exporters need to improve product
 and the export revenue has crossed the   showed either a negative or stationary situation include   quality, ensure sanitary measures and adopt   of land into which seed and fertilizer are placed, which   profit by over BDT 30,000 per hectare.  channels.
 one-billion-dollar milestone for the first time in   pulses, sugarcane and possibly jute. In case of pulses, in early   good agricultural practices (GAP) to gain   reduces production costs, conserves soil moisture and helps
 2020-2021. This is astonishingly almost a 20%   1980s, the officially reported production was around 500,000   greater share of the business in international   boost yields).  More Gains for Marginalized
 rise from the past fiscal year, which is even   metric tons which fell to less than half of that in around   Upskilling Ahead
 more commendable given that we are facing a   2009-2010 before doubling again by 2017-2018. The other   markets.  Tipping Point  Priority strategies in advocating agriculture include addressing
 sluggish economy under the COVID-19   commercial crop that has apparently shown volatility over   Labor needs to be mobilized and trained in the   shrinking average farm size and diseconomies of scale for
 pandemic.  time is jute.  Innovation for Good  According to studies, Total factor Productivity (TIP) reflects the   operation of technology to reap their benefits.   marginal farmers.
 Compared to 2008-2009 where agriculture   Fisheries Flow  Undoubtedly the adoption of technological   impact of investments in rural infrastructure that grew at a   Otherwise availability of new tools without
             users does not assist the average farmer.
 exports amounted to $122 million, the last   innovation in agriculture will lead to improving   modest rate of 0.6 percent to 1.0 percent over a 50-year period   Climate Change Capacity Building
 financial year witnessed export earnings   Based on official statistics of the Department of Fisheries, fish   cultivation efficiency, labor productivity,   from 1950 to 2000. TIP can be improved through expanding
 tripled to an extraordinary $1,028 growth.   production is stated to have been rising at around 5 percent   greater food security and quality exports.  farm size, promoting crop diversification and advanced   Digital Markets and the   Global climate change adaptation strategies to lower adverse
 According to the Export Promotion Bureau   annually over the last 20 years. The data shows that by   benefits through research and development.  Middle Man  impact on water availability, quality and disruptions could be
 (EPB) this represented a jump of 0.78% in   2017-2018 pond fishery yielded just above 19 lakh tons   adopted as policy interventions. There is a need to rehabilitate
 2008-09 to 2.87% in 2020-21 to the   accounting for some 44 percent of total fish production and   Mechanization Miracles  Fair prices can be given to all concerned   coastal embankment and improve water efficiency through
 contribution of agriculture to the national   just about 79 percent of cultured fish catch.  To mitigate the increasing droughts, flooding   parties if the middle-men are cut out. Hence   long-term water management strategies.
 exports earnings of Bangladesh.  Rising Livestock and Poultry  and extreme weather events that Bangladesh is   online platforms can be encouraged to ensure
 News outlets quote various sources that there may be   facing due to climate change, rural   buyers come in direct contact with sellers.  Media Momentum
 Bangladesh is primarily an agrarian economy,   commercial poultry farms numbering anywhere between   communities can evolve by adopting
 this industry is the single largest producing   Roots of Progress  65,000 and 150,000. The number of eggs produced per year is   innovative, localized solutions that merge   Media and community support and engagement has and can
 sector as 70% of the population depend on it for   This tremendous progress was driven by some   estimated to range from 20-33 million eggs/day, a difference   sustainable practices and tech. Mechanization   IOT Induction  contribute to significant momentum to agriculture
 their livelihood. It contributes to 14% of the   sub-categories. Dry food registered the highest   greater than 50 percent. With the new generation increasingly   has various benefits that include an overall   The Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can   revitalization and overall efficiency. This can lead to further
 50 Year Development  country's GDP and employs around 40% of the   increase from $193 million in 2019-20 to $283   involved in livestock trade especially keeping in annual Eid   increase in cropping intensity, yield, decrease   involve remote monitoring of conditions   promotion of agriculture as a contemporary entrepreneurship
                                                               track for the new generation value and also encouraging skills
 total labor force. 60 percent of overall
 in 2020-21, almost 46%. Fruit exports also
             essential to farming output such as soil
 markets there may be space for growth in the livestock
 of our Agro Sector  agricultural output comes from the crops   grew by 18%. However, not all sub-sectors   economy.  in wastage, and saving in production cost in   salinity, fertility, temperature, etc. through   development.
 comparison to traditional farming techniques.
 sub-sector, followed by fisheries and livestock.  flourished. vegetable exports faced a 27% drop   one device in the cropping zone, and   Celebrating the $1 billion exports earnings of agro-products on
 While developing economies are changing their   However, the contribution to total GDP fell from   from $164 million to $119 million.   Mechanization utilizes technologies like axial   transmission of that data to one or multiple   the silver jubilee of Bangladesh’s birth is indeed an
 concentration from agriculture to secondary and tertiary   around 18 percent to 14 percent in recent years.   Bangladesh’s now diversified agriproducts   Old Issues, New Packaging  flow pumps, reapers and seed drills – to assist   data terminals or computers. Data driven   extraordinary feat. However, with the right skilling, tech and
 sectors, the agricultural industry in Bangladesh is still a   For the past three decades the average growth of   export basket comprises a range of products   Even though the feudal zamindari system was done away with   farmers thrive under gradually difficult   monitoring can only assist cultivation and   policy support Bangladesh’s promising agriculture industry
 strong contributor to the economic statistics. As   the agriculture sector has hovered around 3.2   including ready-to-eat dry food confectionaries,   in the 1950s, the British form of exploitation of the poor   growing environments.  production.  can reach greater milestones in the days ahead.
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