Staff Reporter :
Agriculture Ministry Secretary Wahida Akhter on Wednesday said that farmers in the country face various challenges including the small size of their agricultural lands where large-scale technology is often not feasible.
Therefore, advancing mechanisation in agriculture requires a cooperative approach.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s success is attributed to its institutions’ adherence to their roles and boundaries, she said.
She made such comments while speaking as the chief guest at the seminar titled ‘Role of mass media in implementation of smart agriculture,’ organized by the Agricultural Information Service (AIS) at its auditorium in the city.
Wahida Akhter remarked that the ministry’s effectiveness hinges on respecting institutional boundaries and promoting cooperative mechanisms.
She highlighted the importance of appreciation and constructive feedback for motivation and improvement in agricultural practices.
Akhter noted that 17 institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture are actively working, and journalists often gather information from these sources.
She stressed the need for a designated place for journalists to obtain accurate and timely agricultural information, which AIS can provide.
She pointed out that many ministries lack organizations like AIS, which facilitate the dissemination of agricultural information and ensure a journalist-friendly environment.
Golam Iftekhar Mahmud, president of the Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists Forum (BAJF), highlighted the challenges journalists face in accessing information about the country’s agricultural advancements and new technologies from the Ministry of Agriculture. He called for a centralized information provision system within the ministry to address this issue.
During the seminar, Puravi Matin, Head of Culture and Communication of the A2I Project, presented the keynote address.
The event was chaired by Dr. Surjit Saha Roy, Director AIS, while Badal Chandra Biswas, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension, and BAJF General Secretary Sahanwar Said Shaheen, among others also spoke.