ED: For smarter and safer agriculture

Agriculture remains at the core of our progress as a nation, and as such, it is imperative that we continue to do what we can do to improve the sector.

To that end, newly introduced genetically modified (GM) varieties of crops are playing a key role, and we can already see the positive effects they are having. For example, the Bt brinjal -- the GM variety of the eggplant -- has been shown to be resistant to most of the dangerous insects that threaten it, and as such, has reduced the dependency on pesticides significantly.

This is an extremely encouraging sign and, as experts have noted, farmers are already saving Tk7,000 to Tk11,000 per hectare due to drastic reduction of the use of pesticides, and if the production of such crops are scaled up, it can prevent the application of over 230,000 litres of pesticide nationwide.

Not only will reducing the dependency on pesticides save plenty of money, but from an environmental point of view, reducing pesticide use will be a significant boost while also helping keep the land arable for longer. 

Indeed, it once again shows the value of scientific research and approaches, and the importance of such research regarding each and every sector of our economy.

Technology will continue to be the great enabler that allows Bangladesh to fulfill its economic ambitions, and the agriculture sector must also embrace technology and a scientific approach, so that we may unleash the full potential of our agriculture sector, making it smarter, safer, and more efficient.