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Agriculture accounts for around 13.6% of the GDP of Bangladesh and employs about 40.6% of the total labor force of the country.[1] As technology has progressed, so has its uses in agriculture and this has brought about new winds of change in the sector. Although Bangladesh has been a bit late in adopting these changes, the country is gradually starting to see a rise in tech-based solutions for agriculture. These new agricultural practices are helping all relevant stakeholders in a multitude of ways. AgroTech in Bangladesh and its disruption in the Agricultural sector is highlighted.
The use of agro tech in Bangladesh can be divided into 5 broad sectors: Information Tech, Mechanization, Market linkages, Access to finance and Advanced Farming Techniques. Multiple companies in Bangladesh are operating in these market spaces with innovative solutions.
| Name of Group | Core Functions | Companies and Technologies in this Space |
| Information-Based Agro Tech | Uses information to leverage better production and prices at both farmer and consumer ends | 7676, e-Farmers’ Hub, Farmer Query System by mPower |
| Market Linkage | Connects consumers to certified farms to provide better produce | Parmeeda, KhaasFood, Fish Bangla |
| Mechanisation | Makes farming easier and less labour intensive | Tractors and other traditional tech, Seedling guns, New irrigation methods |
| Access to Finance | Makes funds available for farmers and transactions easier | iFarmer, digital and mobile financial services |
| Advanced Farming Techniques | Uses new techniques to increase farm profitability | Low-Cost Greenhouses, Hydroponic Farming |
The first part of this series discusses information based and market linkage technologies.
The main purpose of companies working in this space is to make more information available for all relevant parties so that more yield and quality produce is ensured. This article breaks down how different companies operate in this space through a variety of offerings.
7676 is one of the earliest agricultural helplines in Bangladesh. Although it was brought to the market by Banglalink, at present it has been branded as Krishibarta (27676) for Robi customers and Krishi Sheba (27676) for Grameenphone customers.[4]
It is easy to use and can be used by anyone with a cell phone connection by just calling up the helpline
The helpline is easily accessible to almost all farmers and does not require a smartphone. However as smartphones have gotten cheaper and more popular, new technological solutions are replacing phone call based services like 7676.
E- Farmers’ Hub is a digital platform created by Syngenta Foundation to help farmers and entrepreneurs keep track of agricultural inputs and outputs in real time. As of 2018, the project is working across 45 Farmers’ Hubs (FH) and has benefitted around 30,000 farming households so far. Owing to its success in Bangladesh, it is soon to be expanded to Senegal.[2]
FQS (Farmer Query System) is a mobile app-based remote query system where farmers can ask for consultation from unbiased agricultural experts.[3]
Getting fresh and authentic food has been one of the biggest concerns in Bangladesh for a long time, some companies have used that opportunity to directly deliver farm grown food to the consumers’ tables with guarantee of good agricultural practices.
Parmeeda strives to deliver fresh organic produce directly to the consumer through their supply chain management system that has been built in collaboration with different producer bases. The orders can be placed through website and mobile application.
The platform has a large variety of offerings. The chief categories are:
Although the platform offers a huge variety of products, there are user complaints about the prices being higher than the market which has led to some customer dissatisfaction.
Khaasfood is an e-commerce platform coupled with a chain of brick-and-mortar stores that promises pure and safe food. It currently has 10 physical outlets including one in Chittagong and one in Cumilla. Khaasfood has a wide range of offerings with more focus on the grocery sector. Their chief products are:
All the packaged food including rice are branded under the Khaasfood brand and sold at their physical outlets too.
FishBangla is a business with an exclusive focus on the meat and fish market. Although they do not sell groceries, they do offer around 50 types of fish and different types of meat. Their offerings according to their website are:
The second part will focus on the remaining technology and the way forward for the sector.
Eqra Mohammad Resalat Ohee, Content Writer and Farah Hamud Khan, Senior Business Consultant & Project Manager, at LightCastle Partners, have prepared the write-up. For further clarifications, contact here: [email protected]
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