Osman Ghani: We are at a juncture that can easily be called the beginning of the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ or ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ or ‘Four IR’ or ‘Industry Four Point Zero’. In such a situation, what are the impacts, possibilities, challenges of Four IR in the agricultural sector, especially in Bangladesh’s agriculture, and what can we do to address them? From the perspective of the agricultural sector, it can be said that this technology has minimal impact on the environment, ensures high yields and nutrition at low cost. In that regard, it can be said without hesitation that the agricultural system of the developed world has made great progress on the path of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There is no doubt that its use in the agricultural sector will increase unimaginably in the future. And its impact will also affect the agricultural system of Bangladesh, which is natural. If we cannot move forward in line with this, then we will fall behind, no doubt. It is clear that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will, on the one hand, change the type of investment in agriculture-related business and trade, and on the other hand, it will have a huge impact on the government and the people. There will be pressure to produce quality and nutritionally rich agricultural products at low cost while maintaining the weather, climate and environment. The widespread use of robots will reduce employment in agriculture, especially in the production and processing sectors. Traditional semi-skilled or unskilled manpower will lose their jobs. It is also true that many more new jobs related to the Four IRs will be created.
Apart from the agricultural sector, the business model in all sectors, such as education, health, engineering, import-export, etc., will change. There have always been some common challenges in our agriculture, such as decreasing agricultural land, weather and climate change, small size of agricultural land, agricultural labor crisis, population growth, etc. Along with this, several new challenges have emerged in the implementation of the Four IR, such as lack of trained manpower, knowledge gap, slow internet, lack of domestic hardware and software, lack of tabs/smartphones at the farmer level, legal complications, lack of motivation, etc. The Ministry of Agriculture has already undertaken the task of preparing short, medium and long-term action plans to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In collaboration with A2I, the work of finalizing the action plan is underway after scrutinizing and selecting the activities proposed in three categories from all departments or organizations under the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to global forecasts, the world’s population will be about 9.7 billion in 2050 and the population of Bangladesh will be about 220 million; therefore, keeping in mind the issue of ensuring food and nutrition for this large population, we need to reshape our Industry Four Point Zero action plan by taking the SDGs forward. Bangladesh can become a hub for a diverse range of agricultural products that is significant to the outside world for the production and export of versatile agricultural products. For that, smart agriculture and its successful implementation are needed. Agriculture is the foundation of Bangladesh’s development. The industrial revolution has taken place in many countries based on agriculture. The same has happened in our country too. Although smart agriculture or climate smart agriculture is a well-known term for many, its concept is still quite unclear at the farmer level. The responsibility of introducing it lies with the relevant departments. The fourth industrial revolution, or digital technology, has touched agriculture quite a while ago. These technological benefits have created an awakening in agriculture. Its prevalence will gradually increase. Currently, many online services are increasing. Due to the impact of these, major changes have started to occur in the agricultural economy. A large number of technology-loving youth are becoming entrepreneurs in the agricultural business. The emergence of digital technology, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, etc., will have an impact on agriculture in the future. Farmers at all levels will eventually become accustomed to the digital lifestyle. And only then will smart agriculture act as a regulator for building a ‘Smart Bangladesh’.
What do we mean by ‘smart farming’? What is its difference from the existing agricultural system? What are the benefits of smart agriculture? How much will ‘smart agriculture’ contribute to building a ‘smart Bangladesh’? Smart agriculture is a fairly new term. ‘SMART’ is an abbreviation for the five elements of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based goals. According to smart farming expert Angela Schuster, smart farming is important in producing more food for the world’s growing population. In particular, smart farming enables more efficient use of natural resources and inputs, better use of land and increased yields through environmental management. The term smart agriculture refers to the use of technologies such as the Internet of Things, sensors, location systems, robots and artificial intelligence on farms. The ultimate goal is to increase the quality and quantity of crops and optimize the human labor used. Examples of technologies used in smart agriculture are: precise irrigation and precise plant nutrition; climate management and control in greenhouses; Sensors – software platforms for soil, water, light, humidity, temperature management; location systems – GPS, satellites, communication systems, mobile connectivity; robots; analysis and optimization platforms and the connection between these technologies is the Internet of Things. And it is a process for connecting sensors and machines, resulting in a system that manages the farm based on the data received. Thanks to these systems, farmers can monitor their farm processes and make strategic decisions remotely.
Other benefits of smart farming include improved accuracy using satellite autoguidance systems, increased work efficiency, increased fuel efficiency, reduced consumables, increased yields, less driver stress, ease of use; easy recording and reporting; easy financial forecasting; sustainable improved management; greenhouse automation, crop management, livestock monitoring and management, precision farming, use of drones in agriculture, predictive analytics for smart farming, end-to-end farm management systems, etc. Many people are also wondering how smart farming can change the future of food. Above all, it makes the supply of food and other agricultural products to the general public uninterrupted and fast and improves environmental management. For these tasks, there is no alternative to increasing investment in agriculture. Due to the tireless work of the country’s farmers and agricultural scientists, rice production is increasing in the country. While Bangladesh’s rice production was 10.8 million tons in 1970-71, in the 2020-22 fiscal year, the production has increased almost fourfold to 38.7 million tons. According to the United Nations, Bangladesh’s current demand for rice, the staple food, is about 35.3 million tons, taking into account the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees. Bangladesh is on the verge of transitioning from a least developed country to a developing country. This achievement is a milestone in the country’s development journey. And we are optimistic that smart technology in agriculture will play a unique role in maintaining this status.
Author: Journalist and Columnist
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