A Dutch-backed aquaculture innovation hub has opened in Mymensingh to promote technology-driven fish farming, as the Netherlands reaffirmed its commitment to helping Bangladesh raise productivity and unlock the export potential of one of its fastest-growing agricultural sectors.
The Aquaculture Centre of Excellence, inaugurated on Tuesday in Tarakanda under the FoodTechBangladesh programme, will serve as a practical training and research facility where farmers, entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders can test and adopt modern aquaculture technologies.
Netherlands Ambassador to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel said the Dutch government would continue supporting Bangladesh in developing an environmentally sustainable, technology-driven and commercially viable aquaculture industry.
The centre would help farmers adopt modern farming techniques, strengthen investor confidence and accelerate the commercialisation of advanced aquaculture technologies, he said.
Department of Fisheries Director General Md Khaled Kanak said Bangladesh could significantly increase fish production despite limited land resources by combining government support with appropriate technology, citing the Netherlands as an example of achieving high productivity through innovation.
The centre features advanced production systems, including the In-Pond Raceway System (IPRS) and Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), which are designed to improve fish yields while using water and feed more efficiently. Organisers said it would also support practical research, technology transfer and market development for the fisheries sector.
FoodTechBangladesh has so far implemented more than 60 commercial pilot projects, trained over 600 farmers through in-person programmes and more than 800 online since its launch in 2022.
The five-year public-private partnership programme is co-financed by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by Larive International and LightCastle Partners. Private-sector partners Gemini Sea Food, FishTech Bangladesh, Viqon and De Heus are supporting technology adoption, digital farm management, farmer training and stronger market linkages.
The new facility is the fourth Centre of Excellence established under the programme after Khulna, Cox’s Bazar and Patuakhali.
During the event, Larive International Senior Project Manager Rogier Becker, FishTech Bangladesh Senior Technical Officer Imran Hossain and Assistant Manager Ariful Islam presented the programme’s progress and demonstrated the technologies deployed at the centre.
Bangladesh is the world’s fifth-largest producer of inland aquaculture, producing about 5.02 million tonnes of fish in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Inland aquaculture accounted for 59.34 per cent of total fish production, yet fish and fish products contributed only about 1 per cent of the country’s export earnings, underscoring the scope to increase value-added production and expand exports.
