Published: 12:09 AM, 18 May 2026
Seminar on sustainable agricultural development held in BARC
Bangladesh's agro-food system is now standing at a critical crossroads. On one hand, the country has achieved unprecedented success in the production of rice, fish, and livestock; on the other hand, climate change, pressure on agricultural land, uncontrolled use of water resources, and growing dependence on imports are increasing at an alarming rate.
Speakers highlighted the urgent need for coordinated measures to ensure a sustainable future at a seminar titled "Challenges and Actions for Sustainable Agricultural Development in Bangladesh," organized by the Bangladesh Academy of Agriculture on Saturday (16 May 2026).
The seminar was chaired by the Academy's President, Dr. Lutfor Rahman, while the opening speech was delivered by the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Dr. Md. Abdus Salam. Scientists from research institutions, teachers from various agricultural universities, and representatives from the private sector were also present at the event.
Research findings presented at the seminar showed that if the average rice yield can be increased from the current 3.36 tons per hectare to 4.0 tons per hectare, approximately 1.166 million hectares of land-around 10% of the country's existing rice-growing area-could be freed up for cultivating other crops. Hybrid rice, particularly during the Boro season, could play a strategic role in this transformation.
In addition, to reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation, the AWD (Alternate Drying and Wetting) method could be adopted to prevent the excessive use of groundwater in paddy farming.
