With Bangladesh well and truly on the path to becoming a middle-income country in the next couple of years, and as its citizens continue to become more prosperous, it must never forget what it is that defined - and continues to define it in many ways - as a nation, which is its agricultural sector.
Bangladesh to date remains an agrarian land. However, with being the most densely populated country in the world, and owing to the issues of inflation and food security that we are seeing in this increasingly volatile world which will only be exacerbated by the adverse effects of climate change, it is safe to say that when it comes to agriculture, we must continue to evolve and keep up with the times.
To that end, we agree wholeheartedly with agricultural experts who have emphasized the necessity of transitioning to what can be called “smart agriculture” to ensure sustainable food security in Bangladesh.
Indeed, with how our nation has benefited from the positive effects of technology as we embraced “digital” some decade and a half ago, we must do the same for the agricultural sector. To that end, the importance of using advanced technologies in agriculture, including artificial intelligence, drones, and robots, must be explored with immediate effect.
It is these advancements that will assist us in increasing production, reducing production costs, managing labour shortages, regulating fertilizers and pesticides, and improving irrigation efficiency.
Technology has helped sectors improve in leaps and bounds in our country and it is technology that must transform this sector into one fitting not only of a nation of the 21st century, but fitting of a nation that shall call itself Smart Bangladesh.
