Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister AKM Ehsanul Hoque Milon Saturday stressed the need to build a sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural system to tackle the challenges ahead.
Milon made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the 25th Conference of the Bangladesh Society of Agronomy as chief guest at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council auditorium in the capital.
"We have made remarkable progress in agricultural production. But the challenge ahead is not just about boosting output; we must keep pace with limited resources, climate change and rapidly evolving technologies," the minister said.
He said efforts must focus on ensuring higher yields from the same land at lower costs, with better quality and environmental sustainability.
Noting that scientists and researchers publish numerous papers and develop new technologies every year, the minister said the reach of such innovations must be measured by how many farmers actually benefit from them.
"Our agricultural universities must not remain mere degree-awarding institutions. They need to emerge stronger as hubs of innovation, problem-solving and transformation of the agriculture sector," he added.
Milon also underscored the need for a skilled workforce for a modern agricultural economy, particularly in operating farm machinery, irrigation technology and food processing.
He said Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can play a vital role in building these skills.
