Date: 11 February 2025
Venue: BARC Meeting Room
APAARI successfully held a high-level meeting with key stakeholders from major agricultural institutions in Bangladesh, focusing on creating a virtual consortium and strengthening Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to drive sustainable agricultural development.
Key Discussions & Outcomes:
The meeting, opened by Dr. Nazmun Nahar Karim, Executive Chairman of BARC, highlighted BARC’s commitment to fostering PPP initiatives in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. Dr. Karim underscored the importance of identifying common areas of interest, improving institutional linkages, and implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
APAARI’s Executive Director emphasized the urgency of bringing together leading agricultural institutions to foster collaboration, capacity building, and need-based interventions. He also provided updates on the APAARI-USDA project and PPP Community of Practice, which play a significant role in advancing partnerships.
Key Areas Discussed:
- Strengthening localized agricultural strategies tailored to Bangladesh’s unique needs
- Enhancing the role of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) in agricultural innovation
- Developing a sustainable PPP model with effective benefit-sharing mechanisms
- Addressing climate resilience & risk reduction through collaboration
- Evaluating online training effectiveness and the role of PPP in agricultural growth
- Encouraging private-sector investment in agriculture
- Improving policy assessment to ensure on-ground impact
- Establishing an online platform to streamline PPP initiatives
Priority Issues for the Consortium:
- Tackling climate change challenges
- Promoting low-carbon agricultural practices
- Advancing biopesticides & policy reform
- Developing an action plan for Fall Armyworm (FAW) management
- Enhancing policy implementation & institutional linkages
Next Steps:
Dr. Ravi Khetarpal, Executive Director of APAARI, concluded the meeting announcing that a virtual meeting will be scheduled soon to solidify efforts and further refine PPP strategies. Additionally, APAARI will develop a 2–3-page document outlining a PPP model for Bangladesh to support continued collaboration.
The meeting ended on a positive note, with all participants reaffirming their dedication to fostering a strong and sustainable agricultural future in Bangladesh.
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Acknowledgements:
- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC)
- Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA)
- Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)
- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)
- Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee
- Russel IPM
- Ispahani Agro Ltd
- Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables & Allied Products Exporters’ Association (BFVAPEA)
- Centre for Agriculture & Bioscience International (CABI)
