Bangladesh urges India to lift restrictions found on seed import
Bangladesh yesterday demanded the withdrawal of a bar on seed imports from India to boost bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector.
Agro mechanization, improving the caliber of yields and food products could possibly be potential fields for cooperation between your two countries, said officials from Bangladesh.
"Bangladesh will appreciate if India removes its export barrier on the subject of seeds," explained Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, the agriculture minister.
"We wish to see extra cooperation in agro-processing. Indian companies can set up manufacturing plants in our monetary zone," he added.
The minister was speaking at the 'India Bangladesh digital conference on agriculture sector', which was accompanied by a business-to-business session, according to a statement from the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
The conference was jointly organized by the FBCCI and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). India isn't just a neighbor but also an excellent friend of Bangladesh, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said at the discussion.
"India may be the second most significant trade partner of Bangladesh but the trade balance is in India's favour."
The minister also said the Indian anti-dumping duty on export of jute to Indian markets from Bangladesh has been adversely affecting the country's jute sector.
"Bangladesh is India's biggest trade partner found in south Asia. The partnership is definitely a role model in this region," explained Piyush Goyal, Indian minister of commerce and industry, railways and consumer affairs, foodstuff, and public distribution.
The Indian minister, who joined the discussion through a virtual platform, said he strongly believes that agriculture gets the potential to play a major role between your two countries.
Bangladesh is one of the major three markets for Mahindra, said Pawan Goenka, chairman of the CII National Mission on Aatma Nirbhar Bharat and managing director and CEO of Mahindra & Mahindra.
"We want to produce it number one," he added.
No two nations are like Bangladesh and India nowadays, which are built over human ties and remain bonded when it comes to heritage, culture and anthropology, according to FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim.
These ties will be cherished and honoured for generations to come, he said.
"Bangladesh's private sector procures multi-billion-dollar worth of value chain inputs from India that have bigger prospects and you want to jointly do the job to move towards a sustainable trade balance."
"This will be likely through joint ventures, industry diversification and market diversification. And we are confident that we can perform many goals through better public private engagement beyond our borders," Fahim added.
Vikram Doraiswami, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, said agriculture is an integral sector for both countries.
TV Narendran, president-designate of CII and CEO and managing director of Tata Steel, said both countries can jointly target the economies of the east to diversify exports.
