A combine harvester operator training simulator was launched today by the USAID-funded Feed the Future Bangladesh Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia – Mechanization Extension Activity (CSISA-MEA).

The combine harvester training simulator will help with operator training in Bangladesh by providing a safe, controlled environment for skill development before handling actual machinery.

Through a collaboration between private sector leaders—Metal Agritech Ltd, Abedin Equipments Ltd, and CSISA-MEA—this technology is expected to attract young entrepreneurs to Bangladesh's agricultural machinery sector.

The event was held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon in Dhaka and brought together key stakeholders from the government, private sector, and development partners.

The training simulator represents a key milestone in CSISA-MEA's mission to promote sustainable innovation across Bangladesh, the organisers said.

In Bangladesh, CSISA-MEA is implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in partnership with International Development Enterprises (iDE) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).

Since 2019, CSISA-MEA has provided comprehensive agricultural machinery training to over 2,000 individuals across Bangladesh. 

The programme, which covers the construction, maintenance, and operation of agricultural machinery and the production of spare parts, has participants from regions such as Bogura, Jashore, Faridpur, and Cox's Bazar.

In collaboration with key partners—Gram Unnayan Karma, the Rural Reconstruction Foundation, and the Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center—the project has successfully engaged 647 agriculture-based light engineering enterprises.

"It provides a safe, controlled environment for operators to develop their skills before handling actual machinery, ultimately leading to more efficient and safer agricultural operations," said Owen Calvert, project leader of CSISA-MEA at CIMMYT.