Tapping potential of contract farming abroad

For any government, ensuring food security is the main challenge.
With rising population and limited land, addressing this challenge is a daunting task for Bangladesh.
For the last two decades the country has showed spectacular success in managing food for its people.
But questions that have been agitating the minds of many is: how long the country can do it with limited arable land and declining land fertility.
The application of scientific technology in agriculture has helped us to increase our food and grain production manifold compared to that of the two decades ago.
But with the adverse impact of climate change intensifying, rapid industrialisation and increased use of land for physical infrastructures the availability of cultivable land is falling down.
In such a circumstances contract farming is seems to be an unique opportunity for ensuring food security.
According to a report published in the FE, several countries in Africa have agreed to provide Bangladeshi entrepreneurs land for farming.
In 2021, Sudan placed contract farming proposal to Bangladesh.
South Sudan has more than six lakh square kilometres of land, most of which are cultivable and fertile.
Kenya also showed interest in offering 1,000 acres of land to Bangladeshi companies on lease for cotton cultivation.
The advantage of contract farming -- no matter if it comes directly from government or the private sector -- is that it can choose the kinds of crops that are in demand both the contracting countries.
African soil in general is useful for producing paddy, maize, onion and wheat, they said adding that for a land-scarce country with an outsizes population like Bangladesh, contract farming in the African continent can be a golden opportunity.
As countries like Pakistan, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia - have already started investing in the agricultural sector of African countries like Sudan, Bangladesh should rush to take the opportunity.
One of the main obstacles in this regard is the transfer of capital invested in those countries to Bangladesh, when such need arises.
Many entrepreneurs backed out of the contract farming venture due to this problem.
So taking immediate measures to resolve this issue is a must for availing this opportunity.
Not only in African countries, regional countries like Sri Lanka can be a good destination for contract farming.
Many in Sri Lanka felt that Bangladesh with it success story in agriculture, can be good partner in boosting Sri Lanka's agriculture sector.
As Bangladesh provided forex support during the recent recession of the island country, it can also provide investment for contract farming there through which both the countries will be benefited.
Actually, the move for contract farming was initiated in 2010 but no significant output could be made due to half-hearted approach by the officials concerned.
Official delegations were sent, seminars were held and we heard tall talks from the policymakers but policies for accomplishing the tasks were not framed.
So, it's time for our policymakers to pull their shocks up and start action to reap the dividends of contract farming.
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