PKSF, BARC plan closer cooperation amid farm sector challenges

Despite being a key pillar of the country's food security and employment, the agricultural sector contributes only around 12 per cent to Bangladesh's GDP, while employing nearly 47 per cent of the total labour force. Sluggish growth of 3.21 per cent, shrinking arable land, declining soil fertility, and rising production costs have emerged as major challenges for the sector.

Against this backdrop, the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) have expressed their intention to work together to strengthen linkages between agricultural research and extension services to support inclusive growth.

This was stated at a discussion meeting held on 29 January 2026 at PKSF Bhaban-1 in Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by Zakir Ahmed Khan, Chairman of PKSF. Dr A N M Mahbub-ul Alam, Emeritus Professor at Kansas State University, attended as chief guest, while Md Abdus Salam, Executive Chairman of BARC, was special guest. Md Fazlul Kader, Managing Director of PKSF, delivered the welcome address.

In his remarks, Dr A N M Mahbub-ul Alam said institutions often hesitate to collaborate with more capable partners in specialised areas, depriving the country of effective utilisation of talent. Emphasising the need for coordinated public and private initiatives for sustainable agricultural development, he said the shared goal is to ensure food and nutrition security for the population.

Md Abdus Salam said the objectives of advanced agricultural practices are fourfold—better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and, ultimately, a better quality of life. He said BARC is continuously conducting research to achieve these goals and expressed hope that collaboration with PKSF would help expand research-based initiatives at the field level. He added that PKSF could play a complementary role in implementing the government's Transforming Bangladesh Agriculture: Outlook 2050.

Zakir Ahmed Khan, Chairman of PKSF, said that while Bangladesh holds a strong position globally in agriculture, sustainable and inclusive growth is not possible without addressing structural constraints. He said the purpose of the meeting was to enhance cooperation between PKSF and BARC, and to undertake innovative initiatives beyond conventional activities to support farmers and the agricultural sector. He expressed optimism that a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations would be signed soon.

Highlighting that nearly 50 per cent of agricultural credit in the country is disbursed through PKSF and its partner organisations, Md Fazlul Kader said PKSF is working to diversify and add value to agricultural products to expand markets and promote agricultural micro-entrepreneurship as a viable and dignified profession. He added that special emphasis is being placed on expanding ecological farming practices to reduce production costs, increase farmers' income, and restore soil fertility.

Dr Wais Kabir, former Executive Chairman of BARC, and Mohsin Ali, Executive Director of WAVE Foundation, also spoke at the discussion. A presentation on PKSF's agricultural development initiatives was delivered, followed by the screening of a documentary. Senior officials from PKSF and partner organisations were present.