The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has emphasized the necessity of adopting farmers-friendly technology to implement smart agriculture in Bangladesh.

This recommendation was made during a seminar titled “Smart Agriculture: Issues and Challenges in Value Chain Development,” held at the DCCI Motijheel office in Dhaka.

Speakers at the seminar highlighted the importance of low-cost, locally manufactured devices and comprehensive databases to ensure competitive prices for farmers, coupled with policy support. They also stressed the need for good agricultural practices (GAP) and the utilization of information and communications technology (ICT) for commercial farming.

DCCI President Ashraf Ahmed underscored significant post-harvest losses, stating, “We see at least 40 to 45 percent post-harvest loss from the farmers to the customers.” He identified logistics and market chains as crucial yet challenging areas that need addressing.

Ahmed called for improved post-harvest management, including developing a cool chain and enhancing transportation systems to benefit agriculture. He also suggested establishing a waste management system to recycle agricultural waste into other products.

State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu, the event’s chief guest, announced the establishment of a fully functioning one-point service desk at the DCCI to provide importers and exporters with online IRC and ERC issuance facilities. Titu also mentioned that all services of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) would become paperless by the end of the year.

Md Shamsul Arefin, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division, highlighted the need to make farmers or producers “smart” through innovation, research, development, and a knowledge-based economy.

Malik Talha Ismail Bari, Senior Vice-President of the DCCI, noted Bangladesh’s significant strides in agricultural development over recent decades. However, he warned that climate change poses a severe threat, with increasing occurrences of floods, cyclones, and droughts disrupting agricultural productivity.

Fahad Ifaz, Co-founder and CEO of iFarmer Limited presented a keynote paper on “Opportunities of Frontier Tech Automation in Agro Value Chain.” He highlighted that frontier technology in agriculture could reduce information asymmetries for farmers, facilitate greater market access and services, reduce costs, mitigate climate impacts, and improve yields.

According to McKinsey and Company, frontier technology in agriculture could potentially add $500 billion to global GDP by 2030.

Mohammad Sakib Khaled, Senior Manager at Programme, Swisscontact, presented another keynote paper addressing key issues and challenges in the smart agricultural value chain. He noted the need for massive transformation in the agriculture sector to combat climate change, increase local investment in livestock, and address overarching gaps in the value chain, such as the supply of quality inputs, lack of good agricultural practices, post-harvest losses, climate vulnerability, supply chain integration, and policy implementation.

Panelists included Md Abdul Kader from FAO Bangladesh, Anwar Faruque from BSAFE Foundation, Dr. Md Abu Bakkar Siddique from Bangladesh Bank, Sayed Rizban Hussain from Aqualink Bangladesh Limited, Dr. Kashfia Ahmed from Win Incorporate, Medina Ali from Dr. Chashi Incorporation, and Dr. Muhammad Risalat Siddique from Kranti Associates Limited. DCCI Vice-President Md Junaed Ibna Ali and other board members were also present at the event.