Smart agriculture practices can increase productivity by 30%: DCCI

Adoption of smart agriculture practices could potentially increase agricultural productivity by 20-30 percent in Bangladesh, said Ashraf Ahmed, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

Smart agriculture practices also reduce input costs by up to 20 percent and increase farmers' income by 30 to 40 percent, he said today.

The Dhaka chamber president shared the information at a seminar on "Smart agriculture: issues and challenges in value chain development" organised by the DCCI at its office in the capital.

"We see at least 40-45 percent post-harvest loss from the farmers to the consumers," Ahmed said.

To mitigate post-harvest losses, availability of cold chain and smoother transportation systems are necessary, he said.

"Moreover, we should develop a waste management system so that we can recycle the agriculture wastages into other products."

Inefficiencies in the supply chain, market access barriers and limited value addition are few bottlenecks for the development of value chain in Bangladesh's agriculture sector, the leading trade body chief said.

He also emphasised the need for building an updated database to create a smart agriculture environment.

State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu said a need-based locally-tailored farmer-friendly technology is required to implement smart agriculture system in the country.

The state minister said it is equally important to ensure better and logical prices both for the producers and the consumers and for that the presence of a smooth supply chain is a must.

The Logistic Policy-2024 is going to be a game changer for the businessmen, Titu said.

ICT-backed research and innovation will be needed to diversify Bangladesh's export basket, he said.