Center to serve shrimp farmers inaugurated in southwestern Bangladesh

DHAKA, Nov. 23 (NsNewsWire) — A ‘SaFaL (Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Linkages) Shrimp Service Centre’ was inaugurated at Bangladesh’s southwestern Satkhira district on Sunday.
The centre will be operated by ‘SaFaL Bagda Lead Farmers Associations’ of Debhata sub-district under Shatkhira with the support from SaFaL programme of the Solidaridad Network Asia and facilitated by Uttaran, a local development organization.
Local Bagda farmers are expected to receive better input, technical support and market information from this centre which was inaugurated by Laurent Umans, first secretary of Food Security, and Michiel Slotema, advisor of Water Resources Management, of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka.
Selim Reza Hasan, country manager of Solidaridad Network Asia, presided over the inauguration and opening ceremony.
Carel de Groot, first secretary, ATM Khaleduzzaman, advisor, of Water Resource Management, and Monnujan Khanam, advisor of Economic and Commercial Affairs, of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka, Indu Bhushan Roy, SaFaL coordinator, and Shafiq Khan, SaFaL project manager from Uttaran, among others, were also were present in the ceremony.
Laurent has highly appreciated SaFaL initiatives and involvements with shrimp farmers, saying ‘SaFaL shrimp service centre can help farmers to manage their shrimps farm properly. This service centre will also provide information about modern shrimp cultivation method, harvesting and post harvesting process and market management to the farmers.’
Michiel Slotema said, “I am very much happy to be here today. I believe, this service centre helps to unite all lead farmers. When lead farmers are united, their bargaining power will be increased and the power will encourage them to become an entrepreneur.”
Solidaridad Network Asia’s Country Manager Selim Reza Hasan highlighted the programme activities and said, ‘SaFaL shrimp service centre help everyone related o the shrimp cultivation and business to stand in the same platform and it will specially assist farmers to get clear idea about the marketing of their products.”
Solidaridad with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Bangladesh is implementing the SaFaL programme for improving food and nutrition security for 57,000 farm households, disadvantaged landless workers and women in the southwest Bangladesh.
SaFaL interventions focusing on producer support for sustainable local ecosystem based enterprise- agriculture, value addition and market efficiency, promote accessibility and availability of certified and safe food for the consumers. Uttaran and Jagoroni Chakra Foundation are the partner organisation of the SaFaL programme respectively for the Khulna and Jessore region.