During the past several years, dimensions of conventional growth models and approaches to development have undergone paradigm shifts towards broader dimensions in their respective understanding and interpretations. Emerging insights and experiences, mainly based on ground-level insights, reviews, and experiences, further contributed to strengthening analytical perspectives.
In this context, one of the most relevant instances relate to the work and programs of Shykh Seraj in highlighting the role of agriculture and promoting the views and interests of farmers. This presents a new dimension into how a key sector of development can be strengthened through stake-holder and media support to contribute to economic efficiency and growth.
Over the years, in many developing countries, agriculture continues to receive lesser priority in the context of overall development analyses and perspectives -- both in terms of strategic focus and share of resources. For several countries in the region and beyond, investments in agriculture and rural budget are still lagging.
One of the key factors behind this trend is the thrust on increasing the share of the manufacturing in GDP as this would inevitably expedite and sustain projected levels of growth. Side by side, the need for expansion of the services and construction sectors further contributed steady shift away from agriculture. Consequently, the non-agro sectors continued to attract both public and private investments.
Furthermore, there is, markedly, insufficient policy response, as well as inadequate social awareness, and even minimal private sector-related non-government engagement on improving agricultural productivity and efficiency.
Despite these inevitable challenges, the agriculture sector retains its impact and has continued to grow and sustain expected progress in Bangladesh. The sector has been able to continue its valued contribution to the overall development of Bangladesh. Farmers exhibited their professional resilience and efficiency through their local research-based information, sector-related knowledge, peer reviews and consultations, and dialogue with policy-makers.
Bangladesh retains steady success in the agriculture sector and this is primarily based on reinvigorated skills, knowledge, and capacity enhancements of the farmers. The success of agriculture in a densely populated country like Bangladesh is attributed to the inspiring community engagement, both through dialogue and practice, undertaken by Shykh Seraj.
NGOs, CSOs, and educational institutions both in the public and private sectors are benefitted through the knowledge of products and outcomes derived from his programs. The whole nation feels this process is centred on the inspiring insights and commitment-based, efficiency-driven programs of Shykh Seraj.
Over the past three decades, Shykh Seraj undertook extensive initiatives supported by objective-based and results-driven activities to promote agriculture and highlight requirements for improving farming tools and techniques as well as the condition of farmers. Shykh Seraj has been able to mainstream farmers in the overall development process through collating their experiences and views nation-wide in the country’s budget and national development policies. This has been achieved through deep insights and intensive feedback on farming-related issues, and regular and periodic consultations and reviews.
The extent and magnitude of Shykh’s work subsequently expanded the agricultural infrastructure and added newer dimensions based on which this sector and farmers could match emerging expectations and challenges to meet national development targets envisioned in the 7th Five Year Plan strategies and programs for the agriculture sector.
The government would be benefitted by building up on the outcomes of lessons learned and recommendations by Seraj and team in strengthening linkages as well as value and supply chains to further promote this sector. Seraj’s work further concentrates on eradicating poverty and minimising inequalities in rural areas as well as advocacy for awareness and resilience in mitigating probable impact of climate change.
From the perspective of media support to development of the agriculture sector, Seraj has shown an exemplary dimension. The traditional trend of reporting on agriculture was largely restricted to food scarcities due to natural disasters. Importantly enough, Seraj’s thrust on media support to farming enabled review of better ways to understand agriculture and overcome the challenges to reporting on agriculture and farmers.
At our national level and as well as on the regional scale, Shykh Seraj created a pragmatic mechanism for the media to have a potentially broader role in enhancing the profile of agriculture and in communicating farmers’ needs, views, and interests amongst policy-makers as well as the society as a whole. This will be a model for the media to better reflect development issues and challenges, not only in the agriculture sector, but also in other sectors, to support national development policy goals and perspectives.
The sustained efforts of enabling access and disseminating required knowledge and information have resulted in enhancing farming competencies, and propelled speedy consultation and feedback amongst stakeholders. Through this, Shykh Seraj has facilitated a viable mechanism to address core issues and challenges that impede the efficiency of the agriculture sector. The role of both formal and informal institutions are now expected to be more effective and transparent and this will significantly reduce the role of intermediaries that impede the use of resources and inputs.
The Shykh Seraj model has been able to find a unique approach in blending economic efficiency and good governance to strengthen the thrust on improving agriculture and the role of farmers. Through its success, Bangladesh’s experience is now replicated in several countries.
On his birthday, I join the whole nation in extending to Shykh Seraj our fondest greetings and sincerest wishes. We pray for him and wish him further success and prosperity in the years ahead.