BRRI and Alim Industries Limited have initiated a ground-breaking effort to reduce import dependence on agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh.
The production of a locally suitable whole-feed combine harvester has begun, marking the country's entry into modern agricultural machinery manufacturing, said a media statement.
The Strengthening Farm Machinery Research Activity for Mechanized Rice Cultivation Project (SFMRA), implemented by BRRI, is providing funding for this initiative.
The production of the BRRI’s whole feed combine harvester was inaugurated by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (Planning) Md Mahbubul Haque Patwari at Alim Industries Limited in Sylhet.
The event was presided over by BRRI Director General Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir.
At the event, Project Director Dr AKM Saiful Islam showed all the attendees by running BRRI seed sowing machines at four locations simultaneously using the internet.
For the first time in the nation's history, Bangladesh is manufacturing a whole feed combine harvester on an assembly line, aiming to reduce the cost of importing such machines.
The guests thanked the project director for entering smart technology and instructed him to make the machines invented by BRRI based on smart technology.
In his presentation, the project director said that at present, whole-feed combine harvesters are being imported from China, Korea, Vietnam, and other countries to provide 100% agricultural mechanization under various government projects and financing to the farmers.
This locally produced harvester is expected to cost significantly less than imported ones, with a production cost ranging from Tk22-25 lakhs compared to the Tk40-45 lakhs of imported harvesters.
The use of domestic raw materials in manufacturing will also simplify maintenance and spare parts procurement.
The initiative is anticipated to save foreign exchange and stimulate the local agricultural machinery manufacturing industry.
The BRRI’s whole-feed combine harvester is designed to enable farmers to harvest and pack paddy simultaneously, reducing time, labour, and costs.
Analysts expressed belief that this move will enhance Bangladesh's capacity in agricultural machinery manufacturing and open up new employment opportunities in the sector.