Photo: BSS

DHAKA, April 24, 2025 (BSS)- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in collaboration with the Sara Bangla Krishak Society (SBKS) today organized an inception workshop titled "Integrating Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM) into Farmer Field School (FFS) Programming and Advocating for Private Sector Engagement". 

The workshop aimed to promote dialogue, showcase the innovation accelerator on SAM, and facilitate public-private-Producers' Organization collaboration on sustainable mechanization, said a press release here.

This event is a part of the recently awarded project titled "Accelerating Economic and Social Inclusion of Smallholder Farmers through Strong Producers' Organizations (ACCESS)", funded under the Producer Organization (PO)-led window of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). 

The participants of the workshop were farmers, extension agencies, bankers, academicians, researchers and private sector actors of the machinery industry.

Ministry of Agriculture Secretary Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, and FAO Representative in Bangladesh Jiaoqun Shi graced the event while Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Nazmun Nahar Karim chaired the event.

Senior Agriculture Sector Development Expert Professor Dr Md Monjurul Alam presented the keynote paper on "Integrating SAM into FFS programming and advocating for private sector and market's roles in Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM)". 

Besides, Johannes Ketelaar, Regional Farmer Field School Coordination and Innovation Specialist, Office of Innovation, FAO Headquarters gave presentation on "Reflections from Global Innovation Accelerator Team on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM)". 

President Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer's Association-Bangladesh (AMMA-B) Alimul Ahsan Chowdhury talked about problems and prospects of private sector machineries production and services. 

In the open discussion session participants from different sectors opined that this event is pragmatic to accelerate efficiency and increase agricultural productivity. So, government should pay attention to scale up SAM in FFS to adopt farmer's friendly machine.

Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian said, "Agriculture is contributing 11% of GDP of Bangladesh and 45% labor force are involved in this sector. Although human beings started mechanization in agriculture 4000 years ago and recently entered the era of artificial intelligence; still, we could not mechanize all spheres of agriculture."

In this context, he said, integrating Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Farmer Field School has a significant role. So, this initiative from FAO and SBKS is a remarkable initiative, he added. 

He said it will inspire the rural women and youth to get involved in agriculture and take it as dignified profession. "I hope this initiative will promote human-centered agriculture which is technology and skill based," Emdad Ullah added.

Jiaoqun Shi said, "In Bangladesh, 100 percent winnowing, drying and parboiling and 80 percent of storing work are done manually by women. Mechanization can contribute to reducing women's hard work-load. Embedding of mechanization into the Farmer Field School (FFS) curriculum initiative will go beyond technology transfer. It will foster capacity building, strengthen local service markets, and transform rural livelihoods. So, FAO is ready to support this FFS-SAM ecosystem-through technical assistance, capacity development, and policy dialogue.''