Bangladesh- Botswana to sign MoU on cooperation in agriculture, contract farming

Bangladesh and Botswana are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in agriculture and livestock areas and to exchange visits of agricultural experts, a release said on Sunday.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and Botswana Minister of Agriculture Fidelis M Malao agreed to exchange technical knowledge and training in agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture areas during a bilateral meeting in Gaborone on Friday.

Shariar Alam is on a two-day official visit to Botswana. He was accompanied by the high commissioner of Bangladesh to South Africa and foreign ministry officials.

Highlighting Bangladesh's ability of huge production of food staples, vegetables, fisheries, poultry and livestock in its small amount of land, the state minister proposed to the Botswana side to consider contract farming by the Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the unutilised agricultural land of Botswana.

The Botswana side expressed keen interest in concluding the MoU on cooperation in agriculture and contract farming between Bangladesh and Botswana. 

Underlining the need for establishing contacts between the agricultural experts and producers of the two countries, Fidelis M Malao invited an agricultural expert delegation from Bangladesh to visit Botswana.