FAO supports Bangladesh in strengthening investment opportunities in the crop sector

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) organized a validation workshop on the Priority Investment Plan-Crop Sector (PIP-CS:2024-2030) where key areas for potential investment in the crop sector were presented. The workshop brought together multiple stakeholders including private sector, development partners, government, researcher, academia and civil society organizations. Wahida Akter, Secretary, Minister of Agriculture participated the event as the chief guest and Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh was the guest of honor.The workshop was hosted by Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC).

FAO is providing technical support to the Government of Bangladesh in developing the Priority Investment Plan in the Crop Sector (PIP-CS) to identify potential investment areas and providing a platform under its Hand-in-Hand Initiative to bring together stakeholders to mobilize funding for an economically diversified and sustainable agriculture.The PIP-CS was drafted in collaboration with a technical team set up by the Ministry of Agriculture comprising experts from relevant ministries, agencies, academia, and the private sector. 

Wahida Akter, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture said “We work together with FAO towards transforming the crop sector in Bangladesh to achieve the national development goals in implementation of the National Agricultural Policy.” 

Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, said “FAO is happy to support the preparation of Priority Investment Plan for the crop sector, providing technical assistance under FAO’s flagship Hand-in-Hand Initiative.” 

In preparation of this validation workshop, about 700 local stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, researcher, non-state actor and academia participated in regional consultations conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with FAO in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Barisal, Cumilla, Jashore, and Mymensingh in July and September 2022. These consultations identified four priority investment areas: agro-processing, value addition and marketing; specialized, multipurpose cold storage, post-harvest management, supply chain management; irrigation and water management (IWM); and climate smart agriculture (CSA). The cross-cutting issues are included in this priority plan in addition to the four Priority Investment Areas (PIA). Among these include the use of digital technologies, mechanization, and making sure that food safety regulations are followed at every stage of the supply and value chains. This aligns with the transformation agenda of the National Agricultural Policy (NAP) to achieve safe, profitable agriculture and sustainable food and nutrition security. 

By prioritizing these actions, the Government of Bangladesh aims towards enhancing farmers’ income, protecting consumer’s health and the environment, enhancing growth in its agricultural sector and thereby contribute towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

For more information, please contact Berna Cetin, International Communication Specialist: berna.cetin@fao.org