Reforms in agriculture are essential to adapt to changing conditions, said panellists at an inception workshop on the extension of water-saving (AWD) technology to drought-prone and arsenic-affected areas in the southwest regions.
They emphasized the importance of respecting agriculture as the country's primary occupation and highlighted the need for significant changes to modernize the sector.
The workshop was held at the conference room of the Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Jessore on Thursday afternoon.
It was organized by the Asia Arsenic Network (AAN) as part of the "Extension of Water Saving (AWD) Technology in Drought and Arsenic Prone Areas of Southwest Bangladesh Project."
Deepak Kumar Roy, additional director of the DAE for the Jessore region, served as the chief guest.
The workshop gathered district and upazila-level officials from the DAE in Jessore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia, along with representatives from the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Soil Resource Development Institute, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, NGOs, and journalists.
Md Shafiqul Islam, executive director of Asia Arsenic Network Bangladesh, presided over the event, which began with his welcome address.
Consultant Md Shamim Uddin presented research findings on arsenic contamination in groundwater, followed by Professor Dr Abiar Rahman, who discussed "Sustainable Agriculture Technology-2 (SAP-2)."
The program also featured a presentation by agriculturist Md Mahbubul Alam, area manager of the AWD project, on the expansion of water-saving technology in the region.
The event concluded with a lively discussion in which attendees shared their insights and suggestions.
Rezaul Karim, regional manager of Asia Arsenic Network, moderated the workshop.
