Mechanisation can mitigate agri challenges, say experts

FE Team | Published: September 15, 2018 20:03:34

RAJSHAHI, Sept 15 (BSS): Scientists and researchers unanimously mentioned that large-scale adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) and farm mechanization can be the effective means of facing the existing agriculture related challenges.
They identically observed that the country's agriculture is facing many challenges including climate change, labour shortage, irrigation water scarcity and increase of crop cultivation cost. So, promotion of CA and farm mechanisation has become indispensable.
They made this observation while addressing a daylong inception workshop titled "Pilot Project on Commercialisation of Smallholders' CA-based Planters in Bangladesh" in the conference hall of Regional Wheat and Maize Research Institute (RWMRI) here on Friday.
RWMRI and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) jointly organized the workshop in association with Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and Murdoch University-Australia.
Additional Director of Department of Agriculture Extension SM Mustafizur Rahman and its Deputy Director Deb Dulal Dhali addressed the meeting as the chief and special guests respectively with RWMRI Principal Scientific Officer Dr Ilias Hossain in the chair.
Adjunct Associate Professor of Murdoch University Dr Enamul Haque was the keynote presenter.
Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Dr Aminul Islam and Scientific Officer of BARI Jahedul Islam also spoke.
Dr Enamul Haque told the meeting that cropping intensity can be increased to 250 percent even 400 per cent from the existing 200 per cent through reducing the existing time gap between the two crops through the best uses of the farm mechanization.
Referring to some research findings, he mentions average benefits from the farm mechanization and CA adoption have been estimated at 34 per cent labor saving, 31 pc less seed required, six pc fertilisers saving, 32 pc pesticide cost saving leading to 10 pc lower production cost for lentil, mustard, maize, and wheat.
Widespread use of two-wheel tractors for land preparation and the recent development of small farm machineries provide a platform for implementing farm mechanization, cost savings and the practice of conservation agriculture (CA) in Bangladesh.
Dr Haque attributed that mechanisation is an important tool for profitable and competitive agriculture. The need for mechanization is increasing fast with the decrease of draft power. Farmers of Rajshahi have started leading adoption of farm mechanisation and conservation agriculture.
Dr Ilias Hossain opined that the farmers need power tiller operated seeder and bed-planter machines at subsidised rates for successful promotion of farming mechanizations for expansion and adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) system.