FAO Director-General Reaffirms Support for Bangladesh's Agriculture and Fisheries Development

FAO Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu has reiterated the organization's commitment to supporting Bangladesh in developing its deep-sea fishing industry and enhancing agricultural exports, particularly in fruits. The assurance was made during a meeting between Dr. Qu and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, where the director-general praised Professor Yunus' contributions to agricultural and rural development in Bangladesh. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Food Forum and the FAO's 80th Anniversary celebrations at the FAO headquarters in Rome.

Key Takeaways:

• Dr. Qu Dongyu has assured continued support to Bangladesh in developing its deep-sea fishing industry through technical assistance, innovation, and South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
• Professor Yunus has sought assistance in three emerging areas: developing deep-sea fisheries and fish processing expertise; scaling up fruit exports through improved preservation and processing; and strengthening post-harvest management, including affordable and portable cold storage facilities.
• The Chief Adviser emphasized the urgent need for designing mobile cold storage solutions to reduce post-harvest losses, particularly among smallholder farmers.
• Dr. Qu underscored the importance of developing high-value cash crop fruits, citing China's success in the 1980s when its fruit exports to Japan significantly boosted its agricultural sector.
• Bangladesh is expected to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Professor Yunus receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026.
• The FAO Director-General has invited Chinese experts to help assess Bangladesh's deep-sea fish stocks and develop a sustainable strategy.
• Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam were also present at the meeting.

Statistics:

• Bangladesh's potential as a major fruit exporter was a key discussion point, with China showing interest in importing large amounts of mangoes, jackfruit, and guavas from the country.
• Bangladesh has a whole ocean, but it only fishes in shallow waters, with foreign trawlers catching fish in its waters while it remains under-equipped.
• The FAO's commitment to supporting Bangladesh's agriculture and fisheries development is expected to continue through technical assistance, innovation, and South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

Sources:

• [Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam]
• World Food Forum
• FAO's 80th Anniversary celebrations
• Nobel Peace Prize (awarded to Professor Muhammad Yunus in 2006)