Agriculture Minister Mohammad Abdur Razzaque urged the Nordic countries’ businesses to share their farming technology with Bangladeshi entrepreneurs so the country could enhance its dairy and agricultural production.
“As we see that Denmark earns $ 30 billion per year exporting milk only, which is nearly the total of our (Bangladesh’s) export earnings, which is around $ 45 billion. If we get the technology of modern farming from Nordic countries, our farmers can contribute significantly to export earnings,” said Mohammad Abdur Razzaque.
He was addressing a seminar as the chief guest in Dhaka on Thursday.
Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) organised the seminar titled “Investment for catalysing sustainable and resilient food systems in Bangladesh.”
Nordic embassies – Denmark, Sweden and Norway- in Dhaka and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) are partners of the programme.
In his speech, Dr. Razzaque emphasised that the business-to-business collaboration could contribute to economic growth as Bangladesh possesses land for cultivation and setting up factories.
“Investing in agriculture and the market system is not merely an option; it is an imperative for the sustainable growth of our nation,” the minister said.
“It is through responsible investment in agriculture and food systems that we can achieve food security to realise sustainable development,” he said.
Ambassador of Denmark Winnie Estrup Peterson and Public Private Partnership Authority director general Abul Bashar were present as the guests of honour while NCCI President Tahrin Aman made an address of welcome.
NCCI President Tahrin Aman said that the Nordic and foreign investors acknowledged the role of the private sector in achieving goals with Bangladesh's sustainable development objectives.
“This fosters partnerships for innovation, responsible business practices, and technology transfer,” he said.
 Ambassador Winnie Estrup Peterson mentioned that Denmark found great potential in the food, agro and aquaculture industry in Bangladesh and was now engaging in knowledge sharing with government authorities in food safety and greening value chains.
“Bangladesh offers an excellent investment environment and extends a warm welcome to Nordic businesses. With a range of incentives and concessions specifically designed for Nordic investors, we aim to create a win-win situation that benefits both parties,” said the envoy.
GAIN country director Dr. Rudaba Khondker and Danish embassy’s Maria Stein Knudsen made two keynote presentations.
A day-long programme ran panel discussions on investment outlook and opportunities for Bangladesh, and standardisation of the food market.