Agriculture and fisheries must be developed as strategic growth sectors
The real condition of the economy becomes evident the moment one enters a marketplace. The prices of rice, lentils, edible oil, fish, eggs, and vegetables have become the most significant indicators of inflation for ordinary people.
Although incomes have increased somewhat over the past few years, the cost of living has risen even faster. As a result, not only low-income households but also middle-income families are struggling with the rising prices of essential food items.
Against this backdrop, controlling inflation and ensuring food security have been given the highest priority in the national budget for the fiscal year 2026–27.
However, economists, policymakers, and researchers believe that increasing production alone is not enough. A lasting solution can only be achieved by ensuring that food reaches consumers quickly, safely, and at lower cost through an efficient supply chain.
The budget includes initiatives to strengthen agricultural subsidies, food grain procurement, agricultural credit, social safety net programs, and the government's capacity to manage markets. It also places emphasis on agricultural modernization, climate-resilient technologies, research, and increased production.
However, experts argue that the root cause of food inflation does not lie in production itself. The major challenge is the post-harvest management system.
Agriculture Minister Amin Ur Rashid Yasin said that the government is transforming agriculture into a technology-driven and market-oriented sector to ensure food security. Priority is being given to improved seeds, agricultural research, mechanization, solar-powered irrigation, climate-smart agriculture, and post-harvest infrastructure development. According to him, modernizing the supply chain is essential to ensuring fair prices for farmers' produce.
Similarly, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku said that the government has undertaken initiatives to establish modern cold-chain systems, fish landing centers, internationally compliant processing facilities, and export infrastructure to further strengthen the fisheries sector's contribution to food and nutritional security.
According to him, the country's achievements in fish production must now be transformed into value-added products and a stronger source of foreign exchange earnings.
Sakif Shamim, Chairman of the Center for Strategic and Economic Research (CSER) and Managing Director of the Labaid Hospital Group, said that neither increased market monitoring nor higher food imports can provide a long-term solution to food inflation. Instead, the entire value chain—from production to consumption—must be modernized.
According to him, substantial investment in cold-chain infrastructure, post-harvest management, regional collection centers, digital supply chains, and agro-processing industries is essential to reducing food waste and stabilizing markets.
Meanwhile, CSER research indicates that a significant portion of the country's fruits, vegetables, and fish spoil before reaching consumers. Due to inadequate storage facilities, cold storage, modern transportation, and logistics systems, farmers are deprived of fair prices while consumers are forced to pay higher prices. Consequently, both producers and consumers suffer losses.
Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), stated that agriculture, food processing, cold-chain logistics, and fisheries present enormous opportunities for both domestic and foreign investment. With appropriate policy support, infrastructure development, and an investment-friendly environment, these sectors could become new engines of economic growth in the coming years.
CSER further argues that the fisheries sector deserves special attention in discussions on food security. Although Bangladesh is one of the world's largest producers of freshwater fish, it has yet to fully capitalize on its potential in international markets. The absence of modern processing facilities, traceability systems, internationally recognized quality standards, cold-chain infrastructure, and efficient export mechanisms has left enormous opportunities untapped.
The organization also believes that the Blue Economy should be regarded as a strategic growth sector for the coming decade. Developing deep-sea commercial fishing, seaweed cultivation, offshore aquaculture, marine food processing, and port-based marine export hubs could create new industries, generate employment, and significantly increase foreign exchange earnings.
According to CSER, the 2026–27 budget has established an important policy foundation for strengthening food security and addressing inflation.
However, to translate this foundation into meaningful outcomes, agriculture and fisheries must be viewed not merely as subsidy-dependent social sectors but as technology-driven, high-value-added, and export-oriented industries. Through integrated development of cold-chain infrastructure, research, innovation, private investment, and the Blue Economy, Bangladesh can ensure food security, reduce inflationary pressures, and establish a stronger foundation for sustainable economic growth.
The organization also notes that although Bangladesh has significantly increased the production of rice, vegetables, and fish, farmers still fail to receive fair prices while consumers continue to pay excessively high prices. The principal reason is not insufficient production but weaknesses in the supply chain. Every year, substantial quantities of fruits, vegetables, and fish perish before reaching markets. Due to the lack of adequate cold storage facilities, collection centers, and modern transportation systems, farmers incur losses while food inflation remains persistently high.