Technological Transformation in Agriculture Urged to Tackle Labor Shortages
Farmers in Bangladesh are facing financial losses due to labor shortages and rising production costs, leading to a declining interest in agriculture. To address this crisis, agricultural researchers have called for a shift toward technology-based farming to sustain the sector and ensure the country’s food security.
This appeal was made on Wednesday during a day-long regional workshop organized under the Integrated Management-Based Agricultural Mechanization Project at the Soil Resources Development Institute in Sylhet.
The workshop, hosted by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in the Sylhet region, highlighted the increasing labor shortage in agriculture. The speakers noted, “The growing scarcity of agricultural labor is primarily caused by the migration of the younger workforce to foreign destinations such as Europe, America, and the Middle East in search of better opportunities.”
They added, “In addition to labor shortages, the cost of agricultural production has risen significantly. As a result, farmers are incurring financial losses, which is diminishing their interest in farming.”
The speakers emphasized that declining agricultural production could jeopardize the food and nutritional security of the country’s vast population. To encourage farmers to remain invested in agriculture, they advocated for technology-driven solutions that reduce costs and labor while increasing productivity.
They stated, “Agricultural mechanization is a timely approach. It can substantially reduce both time and financial expenditures. The government has introduced special subsidies to assist farmers in purchasing agricultural machinery.”
The workshop was presided over by Dr. Mohammad Kazi Mojibur Rahman, Additional Director of DAE, Sylhet Region. The chief guest, Agriculturalist Sarker Shafi Uddin Ahmed, Director of the On-Farm Wing of DAE, Khamar Bari, Dhaka, delivered the keynote address.
Special addresses were given by Khayer Uddin Molla, Deputy Director of DAE, Sylhet; Bimal Chandra Som, Deputy Director of DAE, Sunamganj; Jalal Uddin Sarker, Regional Seed Certification Officer; and Dr. Mahmudul Islam Nazrul, Chief Scientific Officer of BARI, Akbarpur, Moulvibazar.
Attendees included officials from various departments under the Ministry of Agriculture in the Sylhet region, representatives of agricultural machinery suppliers and local manufacturers, as well as farmers who use agricultural machinery.
The workshop, conducted by Golapganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Mashreful Alam, commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Agriculture Officer Toufik Hossain Khan and a reading from the Gita by Manoranjan Adhikari, Upazila Agriculture Officer of Derai. The welcome speech was delivered by Shafiqul Alam, Deputy Project Director of the Integrated Management-Based Agricultural Mechanization Project.
