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A private study has revealed that if 1.2 billion US dollars
are spent in the agriculture sector by 2030 to combat the impact of climate
change in the country, it is possible to reduce the loss of 1.16 billion
dollars.
Last Wednesday (August 2, 2023), the results of this study
were presented in a round table meeting held at Sheraton Hotel in the capital.
In the event, it was said that the country's policymakers claim that the
government is working to build a sustainable agriculture sector. However,
working on issues like climate change requires coordination between the government
and the private sector.
Btopi Das Chowdhury, Head of Corporate, Brand and Marketing
Division, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) Bangladesh, presented the results of
the research in a round table meeting titled 'Climate Adaptation: Bangladesh's
Opportunity for Agricultural-based Industrial Development'. SCB Bangladesh, the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICCB), and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly organized this discussion.
Btopi Das Chowdhury said that if the challenge of climate
change is to be faced in the agricultural sector, investment should be
increased. 1.2 billion dollars to be spent on the agriculture sector by 2030. It
will be possible to overcome the loss equivalent to 1,160 million dollars in
the agricultural sector at this time.
Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Agriculture
Minister Mohammad Abdur Razzak said, 'The issue of water management for
sustainable agriculture will become important in the future. The government is
working for that. We want to see agriculture as a more profitable sector. For
that, commercial agriculture should be done well. Investment in agricultural
processing industries should be increased.
Calling for the use of technological innovation, the
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mohammad Shahab Uddin, said
that employment should be created by investing in the agricultural processing
industry. The economy needs to be strengthened. It is not possible for the
government alone, the participation of the private sector is also important.
ICCB president Mahbubur Rahman presided over the program.
ICCB Vice President AK Azad, Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) Nasser Ejaz Bijay, Acting Representative of FAO in Bangladesh Nur
Khandkar, and Additional Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture Ruhul Amin
Talukder spoke.
Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Mohammad Khorshed Alam,
ACI Agrolink Managing Director FH Ansari, Bengal Meat CEO AFM Asif,
Agricultural Economist TS Amjad and FAO Senior Agronomist Mohammad Abdul Quader
participated in the panel discussion.
Source:
Online/GFMM
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