The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh, together with Larive International, LightCastle Partners, and the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC), hosted a roundtable session dedicated to the development of Bangladesh’s poultry sector on Monday, 18 November 2024, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The session was part of the ongoing PoultryTechBangladesh partnership aimed at facilitating increased trade and investment between the Netherlands and Bangladesh. The roundtable provided a forum for industry leaders, government officials, and international development partners to engage in strategic discussions on the future growth of Bangladesh’s poultry sector and the Netherlands’ role in fostering a sustainable growth ecosystem.
The session featured insights from distinguished speakers, each bringing valuable perspectives on sustainable growth and development within the industry.
1. Mr. Thijs Woudstra – Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands shared insights into the Netherlands’ role in fostering trade and investment within the poultry sector.
2. Mr. Shamsul Arefin Khaled – Representative of the Feed Industries Association of Bangladesh, discussed stabilizing the sector through a balanced supply-demand approach.
3. Mr. Moshiur Rahman – Industry leader from Paragon Group, highlighted the importance of modernizing the sector and adopting circularity principles to combat climate challenges.
4. Mr. Amadou Ba– Representatives from the World Bank/Asian Development Bank, addressed sustainability efforts within the poultry and livestock sectors.
5. Dr. SM Zobaidul Kabir – Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, delivered a closing address on policy imperatives to enhance sectoral sustainability.
The session addressed essential topics, including the current state of the industry, key opportunities, and pressing challenges, with an emphasis on policy reforms and strategic approaches for sustainable sectoral growth.
Aiming to unify stakeholder efforts, the session explored solutions for stabilizing supply-demand dynamics, advancing food and feed safety standards, strengthening biosecurity measures, and identifying investment opportunities to support modernization and climate resilience in the poultry sector. This roundtable presented an invaluable opportunity for the Netherlands and Bangladesh to collaborate on strategies to shape the future of Bangladesh’s poultry sector.
The roundtable highlighted the critical role of data-driven policymaking to address inefficiencies and ensure a balanced supply of Day Old Chicks (DOCs) in the market. Participants stressed the urgency of revisiting the tariff structures and tax policies, particularly the Advance Income Tax (AIT) on raw material imports, which hinders competitiveness.
Discussions also underscored the potential of integrating renewable energy solutions, such as solar power, into farm operations to reduce costs and improve sustainability. Furthermore, the forum emphasized the importance of establishing processing facilities and supply chains to enhance food safety and export readiness, positioning Bangladesh to meet growing domestic and global protein demands effectively.
For inquiries about PoultryTechBangladesh, please contact Amber van Spronsen at [email protected] or Nishat Binte Mohiuddin, Business Consultant at LightCastle Partners, at [email protected]. For questions directed to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, please reach out to the Economic Affairs Department at [email protected].
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