Agriculture equipment manufacturers are helping the country's farmers mechanize and increase crop production by supplying quality machinery at lower prices.
They can make 50 to 60 varieties of agriculture equipment, enough to supply 70% of the machinery needed by the farmers, manufacturers say.
Of the farm equipment, 79% is locally produced and the rest 21% imported, according to Professor Monjurul Alam of Bangladesh Agriculture University.
The sales of machinery are on the rise as awareness among the farmers is rising,” says RK Metal proprietor Paritosh Kumar Malo.
“Agriculture equipment manufacturers are directly helping the country with higher crop production as well as mechanization of the traditional cultivation,” he tells the Dhaka Tribune.
Paritosh’s company took part in the National Farm Fair organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in Dhaka.
About 29 companies participated in the three-day fair, which began Thursday.
Another entrepreneur Kamal Mia, who is also secretary of Agriculture Machinery Manufacturers’ Association, started making farm equipment in 2009 with a small capital in Bogra but now his products are selling across country.
He now has 17 employees and annual earnings from the agro machinery stood at around Tk1 crore last year, he informs.
“If any imported equipment sells at Tk1 lakh local, the local one sells between Tk90,000 and Tk80,000. If the government reduces duty on all raw materials, local entrepreneurs can produce all farm equipment. This will also create jobs,” he says.
Kamal Mia gives his technicians the credit for developing quality products and manufacturing new items based on their own ideas despite having no academic background.
Rafed-ul-Islam, director of Uttaron Engineering Workshop, says the government has given priority to the agriculture equipment industry to promote local manufacturers and mechanize the agriculture sector in order to achieve higher growth.
“We are improving the quality of our equipment steadily,” he states, adding that mechanization is helping the agriculture sector produce more and reduce production cost.
Over 12 lakh farmers applied new technologies in their farms in 2018, he mentioned.
The firm makes 48 types of agriculture equipment with prices ranging between Tk2,500 to Tk3 lakh.
Uttaron Engineering Workshop began producing agriculture equipment in 1997 and its earnings reached Tk3 crore to Tk4 crore last year.
Impediments to mechanization
Lack of the soft loan, decreasing number of farmers and depleting farmlands, adverse impacts of climate change are major hurdles in the way of farm mechanization.
Moreover, the sector needs financial support such as reduced duty and VAT for its expansion.
Steps needed for expansion of mechanization
The government should create mechanism so that farmers can purchase equipment without facing any hassle. Centres should be set up to extend services to the farmers.
