GET IN TOUCH
- Please wait...
Kh. Mahbubul Haque, Director General, DoF, and Matthias Brienen, Director, Larive International, signed the MoU on behalf of the fisheries department and the FoodTechBangladesh consortium, respectively
The FoodTechBangladesh consortium, jointly coordinated by Larive International and LightCastle Partners, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to promote sustainable aquaculture development in Bangladesh.
This cooperation between the DoF and the consortium will support the implementation of the four-year-long FoodTechBangladesh project that aims to improve the technical and commercial performance of fish breeders and farmers in Bangladesh by demonstrating best practices and transferring know-how.
The signing ceremony took place on Sunday, March 13, 2023, at Matshya Bhaban, Dhaka. Under the MoU, the Dutch-Bangladeshi consortium will collaborate with DoF to develop a training curriculum for providing technical assistance to 1600 fish and shrimp breeders and farmers.
75 DoF officials, including field-level extension officers, will receive capacity development training on advanced aquaculture technologies and farming methods. Furthermore, the collaboration will create an enabling environment for joint investments and business activities between Dutch and Bangladeshi private sectors in aquaculture, leading to enhanced competitiveness and growth of the fisheries sector.
Supported by the Netherlands Embassy in Bangladesh, three Centres of Excellence (demonstration farms) will be established in Sylhet, Khulna, and Cox’s Bazar under the FoodTechBangladesh project. These centres will focus on introducing and demonstrating different types of improved and more sustainable techniques for fish breeding and cultivation while ensuring international food safety standards.
Furthermore, the partnership will upgrade an aqua feed line in Dhaka to increase the availability of domestically produced specialized shrimp feed.
During the MoU signing ceremony, Kh. Mahbubul Haque, the Director General of DoF, said, “We are working on technological integration and automation to increase aquaculture production. Through this collaboration, we share the common goal of strengthening the technical capacity of our extension personnel and disseminating effective technologies and sustainable farming practices to our farmers”.
Emphasizing the potential impact of the Dutch-Bangladeshi partnership on sustainable aquaculture growth, Matthias Brienen, Director of Larive International, said, “There is an opportunity to support local fish and shrimp hatchery operators and farmers in Bangladesh by transferring Dutch expertise and farming technologies. We look forward to working closely with DoF to develop capacity and enhance performance across the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh.”
Recognizing the synergies between the Department of Fisheries and the FoodTechBangladesh consortium, Zahedul Amin, Director, LightCastle Partners, said, “We want to maximize the potential of our country as one of the leading aquaculture producers in the world by leveraging technology. To this end, our partnership with DoF will be a testament to a strong collaboration between the public and private sectors for strengthening the aquaculture value chain of the country in the coming years”.
Osman Haruni, Senior Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, shared his remarks and reaffirmed the support of the Dutch government.
The signing ceremony was attended by Md. Shahed Ali, Deputy Director, DoF, and other senior officials from the fisheries department. Radi Shafiq, Portfolio Manager at LightCastle Partners, and Shubham Roy, Business Consultant at LightCastle Partners were present during the ceremony.
FoodTechBangladesh has been initiated by Netherlands-based Larive International in close collaboration with its Bangladesh-based affiliate LightCastle Partners and the Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka. The consortium also includes Aftab Bahumukhi Farms Ltd., Gemini Sea Food Ltd., Nutreco, and Viqon.
Our experts can help you solve your unique challenges
