Bangladesh Launches Aquaculture Center of Excellence in Mymensingh to Boost Fish Farming
Foodtech Bangladesh has inaugurated an 'Aquaculture Center of Excellence' in Tarakanda, Mymensingh, aiming to expand sustainable, technology-driven, and commercially viable fish farming across the country. The center will focus on introducing modern technologies to entrepreneurs, providing training, and increasing production. The launch event, held in Majiali village, was attended by approximately 200 participants, including government and private sector representatives, development partners, researchers, academics, and fish farmers.
Bangladesh is recognized as one of the world's largest inland fish producers, with over 5 million tons produced in FY2024. However, export earnings lag behind its potential. To address this, emphasis is being placed on adopting modern technologies to enhance productivity, ensure international quality standards, and boost export capabilities. This initiative is part of the five-year 'Foodtech Bangladesh' program, launched in 2022 with support from the Netherlands Embassy. The program involves collaboration between Bangladeshi and Dutch institutions to facilitate technology transfer, training, pilot farming, and market linkage development.
During the event, Dutch Ambassador Joris van Bommel highlighted the opportunities for improvement in productivity, quality, and sustainability, suggesting that modern technology and innovation from the joint initiative can increase farmers' output and income. Khaled Kanak, Director General of the Department of Fisheries, noted that Bangladesh can learn from the Netherlands' success in achieving high productivity with limited land, encouraging a re-evaluation of resource utilization for food production. The center will showcase technologies like the In-Pond Raceway System and Recirculating Aquaculture System, which enable intensive fish farming with water recycling, reducing space and resource waste. Fish farmers attending the event expressed optimism about the potential for increased profitability and yield with these advanced methods, especially given rising feed costs and stagnant fish prices.
The establishment of the Aquaculture Center of Excellence signifies a strategic move to modernize Bangladesh's significant fish farming sector, aligning with global trends toward intensification and resource efficiency. By introducing advanced technologies like recirculating aquaculture systems, the initiative seeks to address the dual challenges of increasing domestic demand and limited land availability, while also aiming to improve export competitiveness through adherence to international quality standards. The project's success will hinge on effective knowledge transfer, farmer adoption of new practices, and the development of supportive market infrastructure. Future considerations should include the environmental sustainability of intensive systems, the economic viability for smallholder farmers, and the potential for scaling these technologies nationwide to ensure long-term food security and economic growth in the fisheries sector.
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