Dhaka, Bangladesh—“Agricultural technologies can be disseminated to the farmers through videos,” said Md Mosharraf Hossain, the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in Bangladesh. “I believe this initiative will become popular among farmers.”
Mr. Hossain made this remark during the workshop on using videos in local languages to promote and share effective agricultural technologies and practices for the benefit of farmers and rural businesses. Held on 6 August, Videos for Farmers: prospects in Bangladesh was jointly organized by the Agriculture Information Service (AIS), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and Access Agriculture. Agricultural scientists and researchers from various government and development organizations and members of several print, electronic, and broadcast media outlets participated in the workshop.
Mr. Hossain encouraged the participants to spread agricultural knowledge, information, and technologies derived from research, farmers’ field experiences, and success stories to farmers in a timely manner through quality videos.
“The MoA plays a significant role in ensuring food security for the rapidly growing population of the country,” he said. “Progress in agriculture involves scientific and technological skills. It has changed its nature over the years.
“Agriculture, once a means of livelihood, has become a profitable business as a result of government’s different development initiatives,” Mr. Hossain added. “Producing relevant and quality videos as training materials for farmers can play a vital role in promoting sustainable agriculture.”
Access Agriculture is a not-for-profit international development organization based in Kenya. It works with developing countries through partnerships with local agencies. The organization works with AIS and other public, private, and civil organizations in Bangladesh and with IRRI in South Asia.
