Business Desk

FoodTechBangladesh is a five-year-long (September 2022–August 2027) public-private partnership programme on aquaculture development, co-financed by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, being jointly implemented by Larive International and LightCastle Partners, says a press release.

The Dutch Government and Private Partners from Bangladesh are co-investing equivalent to 6 million euros within the program period to facilitate effective collaboration between private sector companies from Bangladesh and the Netherlands, increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of aquaculture in Bangladesh.

As a means to achieving the goals of the program, a Centre of Excellence (CoE) is being established at Majhiali at Tarakanda upazila in Mymensingh.

Equipped with Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) farming systems and designed through leveraging Dutch technical expertise, the CoE is intended to develop and demonstrate best farming practices to fish farmers of the locality. RAS is a technology used to facilitate higher density fish farming in smaller pond areas or water bodies, addressing the significant challenge of shrinking land availability for aquaculture.

The program will host demonstration visits at the CoE, allowing visitors to gain first hand knowledge regarding the best usage of these technologies.

On December 9, FishTech Ltd along with the program partners hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the inauguration of the construction activities of the CoE in Mymensingh.

The event began with presentations from representatives of consortium members, namely, LightCastle Partners, FishTech Ltd., and De Heus Animal Nutrition, regarding their respective roles within the consortium.

The ceremony progressed through speeches from Ms. Sara Van Hoeve, the First Secretary from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, who stressed on the potential of the Bangladeshi aquaculture sector and the importance of achieving higher productivity, while improving on food safety standards and ensuring sustainability within the production process.

Nazim Uddin, District Fisheries Officer of Mymensingh who was present as a special guest at the event, noted, "Technology and knowledge transfer, particularly from the Netherlands, has the potential to transform Bangladesh's aquaculture sector. The establishment of the CoE in Mymensingh is a significant step toward making this transformation scalable nationwide."

Going forward, the FoodTechBangladesh project aims to host demonstration visits at the completed Center of Excellence and disburse technical training to over 200 farmers from within the locality to improve their farming practices and help achieve production goals.