The government is set to finalise the draft of ‘National Agriculture Mechanism Policy 2019’ for a modern and technology-based agriculture sector towards becoming a developed country by 2041. The draft will be sent to the next cabinet meeting for its nod, an official of the agriculture ministry said. The government wants to introduce coordinated and integrated agriculture system in order to ensure 100 per cent use of agriculture machinery.
There is no alternative but to make agriculture a profitable sector through reducing production cost with the utilization of modern machinery and technologies to become a developed country by 2041, the official added. As the government attaches the maximum emphasis on agriculture, it has been providing subsidy for the expansion of mechanization in agriculture sector and this subsidy will be further increased in the coming days.
The draft policy has given emphasis on investment including quality seed production, fertilizer and irrigation management, biotechnology, farm mechanization, agriculture cooperative and marketing. Besides, women empowerment in agriculture, natural resource management, specialized agriculture, regional special agriculture, involvement of the youth force, agriculture rehabilitation, agriculture afforestation, safe and nutritious food production, use of information and communication technology, according to the agriculture experts.
The government is also aiming to introduce combined crop production management based on agriculture mechanization. In this regard, agriculture ministry secretary Md Nasiruzzaman told Bangladesh Post that, the ministry has taken initiative to prepare agriculture mechanism policy. 'How the existing agriculture system will be mechanized, what type of machinery will be adopted and what price, will reflect in the policy’- he added.
He further said, ‘We think it needs to be brought under a specific framework, as agriculture mechanization is being conducted separately. In this regard, the policy will be a pathway for combined mechanization’. He continued, ‘we are at the end of policy drafting, soon it will be sent for ECNEC approval’. Highlighting the agriculture mechanism challenges, in the policy it has been stated that the average size of the country's farming field is small and divided into parts. For this, it has become hard to ensure highest use of the machinery in small and medium fields.
The policy will inspire farmers for combined cultivation of crops by ensuring highest use of machinery. Working system in this regard will be finalized later.
The policy further said that, research and development would highly inspire to invent machinery based on region and crops. To enhance research capability, higher training and advantages will be increased.
Agriculture machinery apparel industry will be inspired in the country. Local and foreign joint investment will also inspired for such industry. For the development of the industry, the new policy proposes to establish special service centers in the country. The new policy will also facilitate the country’s farmers by introducing new loan scheme that would help them to cultivate crops based on season and demand. Even for purchasing modern machinery, separate loan schemes will also be introduced.
Talking to the Bangladesh Post, agriculturists, farmers and DAE officials said, agro mechanization reduces total production cost and saves time. However, the alternative cropping pattern enhances production. Many farmers are now getting four crops a year on the same land. The changing cropping pattern has entirely reversed the poverty stricken economic scenario of many regions.
According to sources of DAE, the country’s 95 percent land is now tilled by power tillers and tractors. Machines are also used for 90 percent of pesticide applications. Most of the grains, particularly rice, are threshed by machines. Experts and agriculturists observe that Green Revolution happens in agriculture sector due to adoption of modern methods and technology such as high yielding variety of seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilizers and providing adequate subsidy. The mechanized farming has become a big boon for farming in the rural region of the country.