To achieve higher productivity in agriculture, Bangladesh needs international investment and technological support, panelists suggest in the “Bangladesh-Netherlands Investment Summit 2020”. The summit was organized by The Embassy of Bangladesh, The Hague, Netherlands. As part of the virtual summit, a webinar on Agriculture and Agro-Food was held on 8 December 2020.
With the moderation of M Riaz Hamidullah the ambassador of Bangladesh to The Hague, Netherlands, the panelists included Dr. F H Ansarey, MD and CEO, ACI Agribusiness, Bouke Hamminga, Commercial Director at industrial equipment supplier Royal Pas Reform, Rosalind Boschloo, Manager for Private Sector Development at state-run Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Maaike Groot, Manager for Public Affairs at East West Seed and Ihtesam Shajahan, Managing Director of Quality Feeds
Dr. F H Ansarey emphasized that ‘Half of the population’ of Bangladesh is engaged in agriculture and it creates a bigger customer base in the country. ACI is working on modernizing the agriculture of Bangladesh with the help of technology and innovation. In this transformative journey, ACI partnered with various global entities along with different Dutch organizations. The role of technologies, along with quality seed in changing the scenario of rural agriculture and its impacts on a larger scale were also highlighted in his speech as the panelist. Regarding quality seeds, he said ACI is providing the best quality product to rural farmers which is contributing to ensure food safety and economic development in the country.
Speakers highlighted the increasingly important role of the private sector in agriculture, progress made through utilization of agricultural technology and innovation as well as the potentials of Bangladesh’s growing Middle Class as a bigger consumer segment for agriculture and food industry.
