Agriculture ministry eyes 50,000 new agricultural entrepreneurs

Staff Reporter :

In a bid to stimulate growth and reduce poverty, the agriculture ministry has set a target to foster 50,000 agricultural entrepreneurs across the country.

This initiative is designed to engage enterprising youth in income-generating agricultural activities, aiming to diversify income sources and promote self-reliance.

The ministry plans to start achieve this by initially training 7,500 individuals.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has launched a project to actualise the target.
The first batch of training began under the Tissue Culture Laboratory-cum-Horticulture Center Establishment and Development Project in Dhaka on Tuesday, said a release.

The training programme includes practical residential sessions for approximately 50 participants per batch.
After completing the three-day training, participants are integrated into various networks with support from both government and private organisations.

Agriculture Secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian said there is an urgent importance of youth training for agricultural entrepreneurship.

“The future of agriculture will be driven by modern, youth-led initiatives. Training agricultural entrepreneurs will significantly contribute to reducing unemployment and advancing overall agricultural development,” he said.

The ministry’s efforts also focus on ensuring food security by diversifying crops, increasing productivity, enhancing marketing systems, and boosting farmers’ profits.

Previous training batches have shown promising results, with trainees like Nushrat Nourin Aurpa from Satkhira successfully selling fruits and vegetables nationwide and achieving significant profits.

Addressing challenges such as labour shortages and a lack of interest in farming, Talha Zubair Masror, Project Director of the Tissue Culture Laboratory Cum Horticulture Center, focused on the transformative potential of the training.
“Our approach is unique and hands-on, enabling participants to become self-reliant entrepreneurs. We aim to create 50,000 skilled agricultural entrepreneurs in the next four years through the Snow flake model,” he added.