Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the government is implementing a series of initiatives to transform Bangladesh's agriculture from a traditional, labour-intensive sector into a technology-driven, profitable and sustainable industry through research, innovation and mechanisation.
He made the remarks on Wednesday while responding to a question from Cumilla-9 lawmaker Md Abul Kalam during the question-and-answer session in Parliament, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
The Prime Minister said the government is pursuing a broad strategy to build a competitive agricultural sector capable of meeting future challenges. "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.
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 and big data.
According to the Prime Minister, these technologies will improve crop health and yield monitoring, support early disease detection, enhance fertiliser and irrigation management, and make agricultural planning more scientific and efficient.
He also said the government plans to introduce precision agriculture to lower production costs and increase farmers' incomes through data-driven farming practices and advanced technologies.
He said the sector would be further reorganised with appropriate incentives to ensure balanced, safe and nutritious food production.
The Prime Minister also announced plans to introduce the Khamari App, a digital platform designed to provide farmers with real-time information on suitable crops for different regions and seasons, fertiliser requirements, weather forecasts and other essential farming guidance.
He said the app would help farmers make informed decisions, improve productivity and reduce production risks.
Tarique Rahman said the government's long-term objective is to build a modern agricultural system that is technology-based, climate-resilient, commercially viable and capable of ensuring sustainable rural development and long-term food security.
