TECHNOLOGY BASED E-AGRICULTURE IN BANGLADESH
TECHNOLOGY BASED E-AGRICULTURE IN BANGLADESH
The economy of Bangladesh is mainly agricultural. Agriculture is the largest sector in Bangladesh, comprising almost 80% people’s involvement by contributing 21-23% of the GDP. About 80 percent of the total population lives in rural areas, and 62 percent of them are directly, and others are indirectly engaged in a wide range of agricultural activities.
Nuclear Agriculture has brought a new dynamic change in the agricultural sectors of Bangladesh. This grand success has mainly been brought by the farmers through using modern technologies developed by research organizations and effective Agricultural Extension Services of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Bangladesh has undertaken an e-government initiative that would utilize the power of ICT to develop and disseminate critical Agricultural Market Information to farmers, traders, government, policy makers, development agencies and other stakeholders.
Several E-Commerce sites like amardesheshop.com, bikroy.com, cellbazar.com in Bangladesh normally offers various items for sale, recently they have added animals (cattle) to the list in the Eid-ul-Azha 2013. Farmers got direct benefit using these sites, buyers were able to make direct conversation with the owners / farmers.
Another E-Commerce website has recently launched in Bangladesh named as lamudi.com.bd, where people can sell and buy their House / Plots / Flats / land properties. Land Owners / Farmers of the country can get benefited from this site if they want to sell their land or they can search for new one to buy. In lamudi.com.bd sellers can easily create an account, can list their property and can provide the details descriptions such as size, price, facilities, area description, can include the picture of the property.
Various govt. and Non-Govt. organization in Bangladesh has started providing information’s, advisory service through mobile phone (IVR / Call / SMS based). An example of this kind of website is ekrishok.com. The Bangladesh Institute of ICT in Development (BIID), in collaboration with Katalyst (a multi donor development initiative) and Grameen Phone (telecom operator) has launched the e-Krishok initiative in 2008. e-Krishok build the awareness and capacity of farmers of Bangladesh to use ICT-enabled information and advisory services.
Bangladesh has stepped into new era of Digital World with a spectacular vision for making Digital Bangladesh. This vision would be saddled by E-Agriculture involving multidisciplinary initiatives of Agricultural Informatics, Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship towards building an Efficient and Resourceful Bangladesh.
No comments