CA Urges IFAD to Create Social Business Fund for Young Agri-Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

CA Urges IFAD to Create Social Business Fund for Young Agri-Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

Oct 13, 2025 - 11:55
 0
CA Urges IFAD to Create Social Business Fund for Young Agri-Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh
CA Urges IFAD to Create Social Business Fund for Young Agri-Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called on the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to set up a social business fund to support young agricultural entrepreneurs, women, farmers, and food processors in Bangladesh.

He made the proposal during a meeting with IFAD President Alvaro Lario on the sidelines of the World Food Forum in Rome, Italy, on Sunday (Rome time), according to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.

“I encourage you to create a social business fund,” Professor Yunus said, adding that such an initiative would help tackle social challenges like healthcare for the poor while promoting entrepreneurship among youth, women, farmers, and those engaged in the fishing industry.

During their discussion, Professor Yunus and President Lario explored a range of strategic issues, including launching Bangladesh’s deep-sea fishing industry, expanding exports of mangoes and jackfruit, promoting climate-resilient agricultural enterprises, and supporting buffalo farmers in producing dairy products such as mozzarella cheese.

The Chief Adviser also invited the IFAD President to visit Bangladesh and send a team to identify opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, social business, and technology.

President Lario expressed IFAD’s strong interest in advancing social business initiatives and strengthening partnerships with the private sector in Bangladesh, noting that the organization is currently financing more than half a dozen agricultural projects in the country.

Professor Yunus further highlighted Bangladesh’s growing need for technological assistance and investment in fruit processing, cold storage, warehousing, and large-scale exports of tropical fruits like mangoes and jackfruit.

“We’ve started exporting mangoes, but the volume is still small. China has expressed interest in importing large quantities of both mangoes and jackfruit from Bangladesh,” he said.

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, who also attended the meeting, shared that Bangladeshi women dairy farmers are already producing mozzarella cheese from buffalo milk and sought IFAD’s support to scale up dairy and cheese production.

Discussing the untapped potential of deep-sea fishing in the Bay of Bengal, Professor Yunus noted that most Bangladeshi fishermen currently operate in shallow waters due to limited investment and technological capacity.

“We have yet to venture into deep-sea fishing. IFAD can play a key role through financing and technology sharing,” he said.

Since beginning its partnership with Bangladesh in 1978, IFAD has supported 37 projects worth a total of US$ 4.26 billion, with US$ 1.13 billion directly financed by the organization. At present, six projects valued at US$ 412 million are ongoing, with another in the pipeline.

Professor Yunus arrived in Rome around 5pm on Sunday (Rome time) to attend the World Food Forum, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech and hold meetings with several high-level dignitaries.

Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and IFAD Associate Vice-President Donal Brown were also present at the meeting.

What's Your Reaction?

like

dislike

love

funny

angry

sad

wow