DAE and Solidaridad Network Asia team-up for agro-market system development
Under the agreement, they will develop climate-resilient smallholder vegetable-based cropping systems in Barishal, Chattogram divisions
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) joined hands with Solidaridad Network Asia to promote an eco-friendly, safe, climate-resilient production system as well as adopt global sustainability standards to improve productivity and quality.
To this effect, the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the DAE auditorium on Monday.
Through this partnership, they will implement the "Smart Farming, Healthy Food" project under the SDG Partnership Initiative of Netherlands Enterprise Agency to develop climate-resilient smallholder vegetable-based cropping systems in Barishal and Chattogram divisions.
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Appreciating the collaborative initiative to foster agricultural productivity and market development, DAE Director General Md Asadullah assured that the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) will extend its support to the project.
He also requested DAE officials to work together and make the private-public partnership effective for agricultural transformation.
Selim Reza Hasan, country manager of Solidaridad Network Asia, an international supply chain development organisation, said the project is designed to demonstrate a scalable model to transform the vegetable production and market system to supply safe vegetables locally, nationally, and possibly for export.
This will be broadly done through sustainable and climate-resilient smallholder vegetable production, improvement in input and output market systems, and creating an enabling environment for climate-resilient and sustainable vegetable production and supply systems with the development of climate-smart Bangladesh GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and capacity building of local extension officers.
For the project, at least 15,375 hectares of farmland will be under climate-resilient and sustainable vegetable production in the two divisions.
The 'Smart Farming Healthy Food' project, in collaboration with East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer and AgroTec Limited, envisions developing climate-resilient smallholder vegetable-based cropping systems.
Among others, Md Abul Kashem, director (planning wing) of DAE, Md Sarwarul Haque additional director (planning wing), and other officials of DAE, with Yeasin Kabir, knowledge transfer manager at East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer, and Indu Bhushan Roy, Md Moziball Hoque and Ipshita Habib of Solidaridad Network Asia, were also present.
