Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque has asked the private sector to invest more in agriculture to make farming a profitable venture.
He urged the private entities to raise their involvement in agro-processing, raw material-sourcing, backward and forward linkages of agriculture that could ensure fair prices for farmers and add maximum value to farm produce.
He made the request on Thursday at a webinar titled ‘The Dream of Bangabandhu: Agricultural Development of Bangladesh in the Last Five Decades.'
“Modernisation of agriculture could also help the businesses to fetch both the domestic and global trade opportunities,” the minister said at the programme.
International Business Forum Bangladesh (IBFB) organised the webinar presided over by its president Humayun Rashid.
Vice-chancellor of the University of Global Village Dr Jahangir Alam presented the keynote.
IBFB Government Relations and Advocacy Committee Chairman Lt Gen (retd) M Harun-Ar-Rashid, Bangladesh Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr Lutful Hasan, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr Shahidur Rashid Bhuiyan, ACI Agri Business Managing Director Dr FH Ansary, IBFB Vice President MS Siddiqi, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Dr Razzaque said the incumbent government declared a 20 per cent incentive on farm produce and agro processed items in 2009, adding such an initiative helped boost agricultural fresh produce and processed food sector to a billion-dollar export sector.
He urged the businesses to tap the maximum benefit of the incentives by raising exports to make agriculture more vibrant.
