Agriculture remains the backbone of Bangladesh’s economy, playing a vital role in ensuring food security, generating employment, and sustaining rural livelihoods. The sector contributes approximately 11% to the country’s GDP and employs over 40% of the population. Within this landscape, two sub-sectors—horticulture and the seed industry—are showing strong potential for economic diversification, export growth, and improved productivity.

Bangladesh’s seed market was valued at $338.98 million in 2023 and is projected to reach $478.89 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of over 5%. The Ministry of Agriculture has set a goal to raise certified seed production to 25% by 2030. Contributing over 7% to total crop production and 5.64% to GDP (2021–22), horticulture has demonstrated high efficiency and potential for scale.

Greenhouse cultivation can also serve as a viable solution to climate risks, declining arable land, and seasonal constraints. There is growing interest in mid-tech greenhouse farming models, with a maturing domestic premium market and aspirations for export-ready produce.

There is a clear opportunity for Bangladesh to become a competitive player by improving productivity, strengthening value chains, and ensuring food safety standards. To achieve this, Bangladesh needs greater collaboration within government, research institutions, and the private sector—particularly in research, development, and dissemination of improved varieties. This opens the door to meaningful partnerships, including with Dutch institutions, for knowledge exchange and innovation.

This panel will explore how Bangladesh can drive a future-ready, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural transformation. It will examine opportunities across the horticulture and seed sectors, focusing on climate-smart practices, value chain efficiency, digital integration, and cross-border collaboration.

The discussion will also highlight policy reforms, climate finance mechanisms, and international investment opportunities—particularly through Dutch-Bangladesh partnerships—to accelerate innovation, enhance productivity, and build long-term resilience in the agricultural sector.