Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government has taken a series of initiatives to transform Bangladesh's agriculture from a traditional, labour-intensive sector into a technology-driven and profitable one through greater use of research, innovation and mechanisation.
"The present government has taken a wide range of initiatives to transform agriculture from a traditional, labour-intensive system into a technology-driven, profitable, competitive and sustainable sector through research, modern technology, innovation and mechanisation," he said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks during the question-answer session at Parliament with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed in the chair.
The issue was raised by Cumilla-9 lawmaker Md Abul Kalam, who wanted to know what steps the government had taken to modernise agriculture by promoting research, technology and mechanisation.
Responding to the question, the Prime Minister explained the wide range of measures his government is implementing to build a competitive and sustainable agricultural sector capable of meeting future challenges.
He said the government is expanding the use of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in agriculture, including remote sensing, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite data, big data and other advanced digital technologies.
He said these technologies will help monitor crop health and yields, detect diseases, improve fertiliser and irrigation management and make production planning more scientific and efficient.
Tarique also said the government plans to introduce precision agriculture to reduce production costs and increase farmers' incomes through the use of modern technologies and data-based farming practices.
He said the agricultural sector will be further reorganised and developed through appropriate incentives to ensure balanced, safe and nutritious food production.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the government's plan to introduce the 'Khamari App', which will provide farmers with real-time information on the most suitable crops for different regions and seasons, fertiliser requirements, weather forecasts and other essential farming advice.
He said the digital platform is expected to help farmers make informed decisions, improve productivity and reduce production risks.
Tarique said the government's goal is to build a modern agricultural system that is technology-based, climate-resilient, commercially viable and capable of ensuring long-term food security and sustainable rural development.