The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and CGIAR, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, organized a workshop on "Agri-food value chains and farm mechanization in Bangladesh" at the Six Seasons Hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Tuesday.
The workshop explored the critical role of intermediaries within agri-food value chains in Bangladesh in the context of rice and potato value chains work and the financial needs of actors to improve overall efficiency within these value chains, and expansion of machinery ownership affects agricultural development, according to a press release.
The event convened key stakeholders to explore innovative solutions to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability in Bangladesh. The workshop opened with remarks from representatives of IFPRI, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Ministry of Agriculture. In his welcome remarks, Dr Akhter Ahmed, IFPRI-Bangladesh Country Representative emphasized the continued importance of agriculture for livelihoods in Bangladesh.
"A recent IFPRI study found that agriculture-led growth is three times more effective in alleviating poverty than other sectors in the economy in Bangladesh," Ahmed stated. He highlighted the strong growth linkage effects of value chains on the economy and the critical role of farm mechanization in improving farmers profitability, particularly amid rising rural labor wages.
Representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including Maria May, Senior Program Officer, and Snigdha Ali, Bangladesh Country Lead for Financial Services for the Poor, reiterated the Foundations commitment to supporting initiatives promoting sustainable agriculture and improving smallholder farmers livelihoods.
Guest of Honor, Dr Mahmudur Rahman, Joint Secretary (PPC Wing), Ministry of Agriculture, commended the collaborative efforts between IFPRI, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Ministry of Agriculture in driving agricultural policy reforms and fostering sustainable development. The workshop also featured research presentations on agri-food value chains and farm mechanization.
IFPRI Senior Research Fellows Dr Kate Ambler and Dr Alan de Brauw presented IFPRI and CGIARs research on the role of intermediaries in rice and potato value chains in Bangladesh.
IFPRIs research found widespread concerns that rice and potato value chain actors take high margins, especially in the context of rising prices, and proposed policy options for enhancing the efficiency and inclusivity of value chains, potentially leading to improved prices for agricultural producers and higher quality products for consumers.
IFPRI Research Fellows Dr Ben Belton and Dr Mehrab Bakhtiar presented preliminary findings from IFPRIs ongoing policy research on farm mechanization in Bangladesh, which aims to assess the state of agricultural mechanization and study the impact of the governments Farm Mechanization through Integrated Management program on the agricultural sector.
This article was originally published on The Observer on March 7, 2024.