Agricultural machinery and equipment on display at a stall at the three-day ‘National Farm Machinery Fair 2019’, being organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in the city — FE Photo Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said the country's farming should fully be mechanised to make agriculture profitable.
He said the farmers were not getting benefit from the government's rice procurement drive.
To give the farmers a relief, the government will provide them with modern farm equipment with the aim to minimise production costs.
He made the observation while addressing as the chief guest a seminar titled 'Achievement, Constraints and Prospects of Bangladesh's Agricultural Mechanisation'.
The seminar was a part of the three-day National Farm Machinery Fair 2019 which began at the auditorium of Krishibid Institute at Khamarbari in the capital, organised by the agricultural ministry.
Razzaque said the government will gradually increase incentives for farm machineries to make them available for farmers.
"Agricultural innovations and farm equipment need to be disseminated urgently to the farmers to reduce the production costs and make agriculture a profit bearing profession", the minister said.
As the country is shifting to industrialisation, there will be crisis for farm labourers, he cautioned.
Modern farm machinery is the ultimate solution to combat labour shortage, he mentioned.
Acting Director General of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dr Md Abdul Moyeen presided over the seminar where Agriculture Secretary Md Nasiruzzaman was present as the special guest and also spoke.
Professor Md Manjurul Alam of the Department of Farm Power and Machinery at the Bangladesh Agricultural University presented the keynote paper.
The paper said the country's farming showed a tremendous achievement in term of production growth led by rapid mechanisation.
It showed mechanisation covered 95 per cent of land in ploughing, 90 per cent in spraying pesticide, 75 per cent for threshing.
But mechanisation was still much lower in terms of application of fertiliser, seed plantation and harvesting, which are 3.0, 1.0 and 2.0 per cent respectively, the paper said.
"Progress in pre-harvest mechanisation is praiseworthy and we have to now shift special focus on post-harvest automation," Prof Manjurul Alam said.
However, former Planning Commission member and economist Prof Abdus Sattar Mandol, Bangladesh Krishi Gobeshona Foundation Executive Director Dr Wais Kabir, ACI Motors Managing Director Dr F H Ansary, Project Director of Farm Mechanisation under the DAE Sheikh Md Nazim Uddin also spoke, among others.
A total of 27 organisations including eight government agencies were showcasing more than 200 kinds of farm machinery at the fair including rice harvester, wider, ripper, combined harvester, packaging machine and tractors.
The three-day fair will remain open from 9.00am-9.00pm every day.
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