Bayer Crop Science Ltd will provide training to 15,000 smallholder farmers in the country on advanced agricultural practices.
The training is a continuation of its “Better Farms, Better Lives” initiative, under which 100,000 farmers already got input supports last year.
The latest training initiative titled “Farmers Capacity Development Project ” was launched on Sunday at BRAC Learning Centre in the city, organised jointly by Bayer and BRAC, said a press release.
Bayer in collaboration with BRAC will train 15,000 farmers this year to build their capacities in adapting modern agricultural practices.
Farmers will receive training on seed to harvest solutions; disease, pest management and also will get support for market linkages.
In the first phase of the programme, Bayer and BRAC will train the trainers, who will eventually train smallholder farmers.
Zahidul Islam, Managing Director, Bayer Crop Science Ltd, Bangladesh, said their long-term aim is to help smallholder farmers attaining higher crop yield.
“We opt the peasantry use their farms as a source of sustainable income rather than just a mean to survive,” he said.
He also said that they are going to conduct third-party impact assessment this year to evaluate the Bayer initiatives in terms of food security and livelihood support for smallholder farming communities in Bangladesh.
In the Aman and Boro seasons last year, Bayer supported 100,000 smallholder farmers who faced challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The farmers in 242 upazilas under 59 districts received 1.0 kg pack of Bayer’s “Arize” hybrid rice seeds at free of cost.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) was the implementing partner of the seed distribution programme in 2020.
Launched in 2020, Bayer’s global initiative – ‘Better Farms, Better Lives’ has so far supported over 2.0 million smallholder farmers in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with free ‘Better Life Farming’ care packages.
These packages are tailored for farmers’ local needs which include a combination of Bayer’s hybrid seeds, crop protection products, personal protective equipment and safety and training materials.