Accolades for icons in agriculture

Four institutions, one group and two individuals were yesterday honoured for their exemplary contribution to the country's agriculture sector, which has achieved self-sufficiency in cereal food production.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed handed out the crests and prize money to the winners of the third edition of the AGROW Award, initiated by the Standard Chartered Bank.

This year, AGROW Award honoured the industry contributors in seven categories. A total of 350 nominations were received.

Ispahani Agro Ltd, a sister concern of MM Ispahani Ltd, which has operations in areas of seeds, biotechnology and agro processing, was crowned the Best Agricultural Organisation in the research & innovation category.

The approach of the company operating since 2007 is to supply agro input to ensure safe food security.

State-run Department of Agricultural Extension, which provides efficient and effective services to all categories of farmers across the country, was chosen the Best Agricultural Organisation in the support & execution category.

Bengal Braided Rugs Ltd, one of the leading manufacturers of jute rugs, bags, baskets, yarn and other jute-related products, bagged the award as the Best Agricultural Exporter.

Its main export markets are North America and Western Europe.

Alim Industries Ltd, one of the leading agricultural machinery manufacturers in Bangladesh, was picked the winner in the Best Use of Technology in agriculture category.

Abdus Sattar Sana from Satkhira was awarded the male farmer of the year, while Hosne Ara Begum from Pirozpur won the award in the female category.

The Farmer of the Year award (subsistence market group) went to a group of six women from Cox's Bazar for cultivating vegetables through harvested rainwater.

Besides, WorldFish Bangladesh, a research group; Rifat Enterprise; farmers Babul Hossain and Kulsum Begum; and the Group for Making the Village Green were given honourable mentions in different categories.

The best male farmer, the best female farmer and the farmer of the year in subsistence market group categories were handed over prize money of Tk 5 lakh each.

The three honourable mentions in the categories received Tk 50,000 each.

Speaking as the chief guest, Ahmed thanked Standard Chartered Bank for initiating the award.

He also talked about Bangladesh's journey from a food deficient country to a country surplus in food production.

“In 1971, when we got independence we were a country of 7.5 million people, but there was a shortage of food production. Now, we have a population of 160 million but still we are surplus in food production.”

This year, the country will have a surplus of 30 lakh tonnes of food, said the minister. Ahmed also said the export-oriented agro-processors would receive 20 percent cash incentive this year.

Abrar A Anwar, chief executive officer of SCB, said: “I hope through this humble attempt of ours we will be able to motivate thousands of farmers around the country to come up with exemplary contribution in the agricultural sector.”

An agricultural revolution has taken place in Bangladesh over the last few decades to ensure food security, employment and foreign remittance, despite all the challenges and constraints to sustainable agricultural development.

The government has provided lots of support for the agriculture sector and the farmers of the country, he said.

Anwar praised the government's measures including the expansion of small irrigation facilities, enhancing the production of domestic food grains, production of high yielding varieties of seeds and their preservation, distribution and development.

SCB has been one of the top banks to have met the agricultural loan disbursement target set by Bangladesh Bank in the last few years, according to Anwar.

The agriculture sector accounts for nearly 20 percent of the country's gross domestic product and represents 47.5 percent of the total labour force.

About 84 percent of the total population live in rural areas and are directly or indirectly engaged in a wide range of agricultural activities, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

In her acceptance speech, Hosne Ara Begum, the female farmer of the year, said she has been farming vegetables for the last six years and was able to turn around her life.

“I was forced to engage in farming after my husband became seriously ill and was bed-ridden for six years.”

The mother of three now cultivates various vegetables on two bighas of rented land and her husband Abu Al Sheikh sells the produce in nearby markets. Begum has bought land and built her own house. She has diversified her income generation activities: apart from vegetable farming, she also rears cows. Sana, the male farmer of the year, said he has been farming various kinds of vegetables for the last 10 years.

Until last year, the poor women who won the award in the subsistence market group used to rely on forests to make their living.

They were then trained by USAID-supported Climate Resilient Ecosystems & Livelihood Project on how to cultivate vegetables and sell them in the market.

They were given a water tank with a capacity of holding rainwater of up to 5,000 litres.

They use this water in their vegetable field during the dry season, said Jyotsna Begum, one of the members of the group.

Shariful Islam, CEO of Bangladesh Brand Forum, the implementing partner of the event from its inception, said the agriculture sector has played a critical role in poverty reduction. “We can learn a lot from the farmers who most often go against the odds and create something that is sustainable.”

He said if agriculture production goes up by 10 percent, non-farm activities go up by 6 percent in rural areas.

Abul Khair, chairman of Bengal Group Ltd; Md Hamidur Rahman, director general of the DAE; Alimus Sadat Chowdhury, vice-chairman of Alim Industries Ltd; and Fawzia Yasmeen, general manager of Ispahani Agro Ltd, received the awards on behalf of their respective organisations.

Bitopi Das Chowdhury, country head of SCB's corporate affairs, and Syed Ferhat Anwar, a member of the jury board and also a professor of the Institute of Business Administration, also spoke at the event held at the capital's Radisson Blu Water Garden hotel.