BSS, Khulna :
Speakers at a project launching ceremony on USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity here Sunday said it will work alongside public and private extension agents to support smallholders’ farmers to improve farming practices through technical training.
The smallholder farmers will gain access to extension services and information, purchase high quality inputs at fair prices and through trusted suppliers, access to financial services that meet their needs as farmers expand marketing options, they said.
Dhaka Ahsania Mission in collaboration with CARE Bangladesh and Power Social Enterprise Ltd. Organized the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity “Project Launching” programme for Khulna district at the conference room of the deputy commissioner office in the city.
Chaired by Project Director Daniel O Coster, Deputy Director of LGED Department Habibul Islam Khan addressed it as the chief guest. Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Deepankar Biswas, Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Kazi Anisuzzaman, Deputy Live Stock Officer Dr. Md. Nizam Uddin addressed the function as special guests.
District Manager of the project Md. Rafiqul Islam delivered the welcome speech while representative of CARE Kaiser Zillany displayed the project overview. The project launching ceremony was addressed, among others, by Khulna Press Club President Faruk Ahmed, General Secretary S M Zahid Hossain, Regional Manager of Jessore and Khulna Project Md. Shawkat Ali and Md. Alauddin.
During the display of project overview Kaiser Zillany said the project is working in central and southwest Bangladesh including Khulna, Barisal and Dhaka divisions.
Describing long term objectives of the project he said it would increase household incomes, nutritional status and build food security for 2 lakh participating farmers, strengthen agricultural extension services in Bangladesh.
Md. Rafiqul Islam said the project will establish and support up to 8,000 farmer producers groups to collectively demand extension service, needed inputs, access to finance and markets.
The project director Daniel O Coster said ” the project was directly working with extension agents throughout agricultural value chains, as we are enhancing smallholder farmers’ ability to receive necessary information, training and inputs they need to become better farmers, while enabling them to sell their outputs to more formalized markets at higher prices”.
The chief guest hoped that the project will ensure skilled farmers and quality products of their nine value chains including Mung bean, tomato, aquaculture, beef fattening, dairy, jute, watermelon and groundnut.
