The Ministry of Agriculture and the Embassy of Bangladesh in the Netherlands will jointly convene a roundtable at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands on Monday to discuss future scenarios and ways to transform the agriculture sector of Bangladesh.

Supported by the Saskatchewan University, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Bank, and the Gates Foundation will also join the programme, according to a press release.

Md Abdus Shahid, minister for agriculture, will lead the Bangladesh delegation, joined by Wahida Akter, secretary of the agriculture ministry, and SM Bokhtiar, executive chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council

This roundtable will focus on four key action tracks in Bangladesh agriculture -- improving productivity and farm mechanisation, building a resilient supply chain, and meeting skill gaps.

Scientists, researchers and businessmen will try to launch a few action-oriented initiatives to pilot at the grassroots stage in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to visit the Netherlands, the second largest agro-food exporter globally, in 2015.

During that visit, the Prime Minister said the agriculture sector should be a key priority in cooperation with the Netherlands. She particularly said to introduce some of the transformative technology, innovation and research capabilities to Bangladesh.

In 2022, the Bangladesh Embassy in The Hague held a first-ever open discussion, together with the Wageningen University, on "Future of Bangladesh Agriculture", presenting potential opportunities.

In 2023, the Prime Minister sanctioned funds to undertake three transformative projects with the university to address some of the major challenges faced by small and marginal farmers in Bangladesh.

During the past two years, Bangladesh has been increasingly engaging with the leading global agri-science university.