Standard Chartered Bank and Bangladesh Brand Forum announced a new award at a press conference held at a city hotel Monday to recognise and honour individuals and institutions who serve as outstanding examples in the agriculture sector of Bangladesh. Shar
Standard Chartered Bank will honour the country's farming community for the first time to help foster innovation in the sector.
As part of the initiative under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the UK-based, but emerging markets-focused bank will give "Agrow Award" in the agriculture sector today (Tuesday), an official said at a press conference Monday.
"It is the first ever initiative of the Standard Chartered Bank on giving the agro award. …Our aim is to continue it," Bitopi Das Chowdhury, Head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said.
Shariful Islam, of Bangladesh Brand Forum that provided technical assistance to the bank in giving the award, also addressed the press conference at a hotel in the city.
Learning the lesson from its new "Agrow Award" in the agriculture sector, the bank will arrange it in a more extensive and broader way in the coming years, the bank official said.
Mr Islam said that the main focus of the agro award is to bring the farmers, other individuals and organisations, who are behind the progress of the agriculture sector, on the front so that others also contribute to the farm sector.
This year, two farmers and three organisations in five categories are being awarded at a ceremony to recognise and honour them for their outstanding practice and performance in the agriculture sector.
The five categories are: Farmer of the Year (male), Farmer of the Year (female), Innovation in the Sector (under the subcategory of process, distribution, application of fertiliser, technology and innovation), Best Associated Industry and Best Agriculture Export.
Along with crest, the two farmers each will receive Tk 25,000 under the award programme.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury is likely to attend the award giving ceremony at a city hotel as the chief guest.
Ms. Chowdhury said, "The award is our humble attempt to recognise individuals and organisations, who played exemplary roles through innovation and hard work. By the award, we hope to spur innovation and modernisation among the thousands of farmers across the country toiling away to meet the nation's demand."
Terming the award a long-term engagement with the country's agriculture sector, the bank officials said that its framework consists of two phases-- the award itself and post-award engagement.
Post award programme includes engaging the awardees with the sector to enhance their knowledge and inspiration, holding discussions on relevant agri-issues that will benefit the sector and the farmers to produce more, sharing global best practices with them, managing necessary services from all stakeholders concerned (such as technology firms, mobile service providers etc) for the farmers, and finally telecasting different agro-related information through televisions for the development of the farmers at large, according to the officials.
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