Corporatisation of agriculture

Agriculture is important to man, perhaps the earliest occupation after hunting. It provides a basic need, nourishment for subsistence. As civilization progressed, agriculture, too, adopted new forms and met new demands. Agricultural production met the needs of a growing populace which has multiplied manifold. Adaptation to local climatic conditions is an attribute of development of agriculture. Human civilization cannot survive for any length of time without agriculture. Agriculture is a very broad subject, encompassing field crops, fruits and vegetables, horticulture, dairy, poultry, mushroom cultivation, fisheries and a lot more, dictionary meaning being "practice of cultivating the soil and rearing animals." Anything that pleases the palate and fills the stomach and is organic by nature falls within the definition of agriculture. Highly fragmented land holdings, resulting from geographical and historical reasons, is the foremost problem we face in agriculture. Since most people in the developing countries are employed in agriculture and agro-related sector, it is the greatest impediment to ameliorating poverty and hunger. Corporatisation implies being part of a corporation which is a body of many individuals working in unison for a given objective. All resources be it human, capital or technology are directed towards a common purpose. When it comes to agriculture, rather agribusiness, the concept of corporatisation raises eyebrows. But the importance of corporatisation of agriculture is undeniable. Without corporatisation our future in raising production and productivity in agriculture is bleak. ...................................................... This is an abridged version of a write-up by Major General Amjad Khan Chowdhury (Retired) who is the Chief Executive Officer of Pran-RFL Group and also the president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industry or MCCI, Dhaka. The original article will be published in a forthcoming book, 'Bangladesh at 40: changes and challenges', to be edited by Prof Abdul Bayes, Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka