Speakers at a seminar on Thursday saidthat the adoption of smart agriculture practices could potentially have increased agricultural productivity, reduced input costs, and boosted farmers’ income.

The seminar on “Smart Agriculture: Issues and Challenges in Value Chain Development” organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry highlighted that the adoption of precision agriculture could increase in agricultural productivity by 20-30 per cent, reduction in input costs by up to 20 per cent and and raise farmers’ income by 30-40 per cent.

They also addressed challenges such as post-harvest losses, climate change threats, and inefficiencies in traditional farming practices.

The discussions underscored the importance of leveraging technology, data, and innovative practices in agriculture, as well as the need for policy support, farmer-friendly technology, and integrated supply chains to ensure the success of smart agriculture initiatives.

DCCI President Ashraf Ahmed noted the need to address post-harvest losses, emphasizing the importance of efficient logistics and transportation systems, along with waste management for recycling agricultural waste.

He identified inefficiencies in the supply chain, market access barriers, and limited value addition as bottlenecks for Bangladesh’s agriculture sector.

State minister for commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu highlighted upcoming initiatives to streamline services for importers and exporters, emphasizing the need for locally tailored, farmer-friendly technology for smart agriculture implementation.

He stressed the importance of a smooth supply chain process, standardized products, and ICT-backed research and innovation.

Md Shamsul Arefin, secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division, emphasized the need for smart innovation, research, and a knowledge-based economy in the agriculture sector.

Malik Talha Ismail Bari, senior vice-president of DCCI, underscored the importance of smart agriculture solutions in mitigating challenges posed by climate change and traditional farming practices.

Fahad Ifaz, Co-Founder and CEO of iFarmer Limited, highlighted the opportunities of frontier tech automation in the agro value chain, seeking policy support for an improved technological ecosystem.

Mohammad Sakib Khaled, senior manager-programme, Swisscontact, emphasized the need for a transformative approach to address climate change in the agriculture sector, highlighting issues such as post-harvest losses and lack of integrated supply chains.

In the panel discussion, experts stressed the importance of low-cost, farmer-friendly devices, competitive pricing, policy support, good agricultural practices, and ICT utilization for commercial farming to enhance the agriculture value chain.

During the panel discussion, Md Abdul Kader, national senior lead agronomist at FAO Representation in Bangladesh, Anwar Faruque, vice-president of BSAFE Foundation, Md Abu Bakkar Siddique, additional director of the Agricultural Credit Department at Bangladesh Bank, Sayed Rizban Hussain, chief executive officer of Aqualink Bangladesh Limited, Kashfia Ahmed, CEO & founder of Win Incorporate,  and Muhammad Risalat Siddique, director of Kranti Associates Limited shared their insights.