Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) will soon open two state-of-the-art automated poultry houses to build skilled manpower by combining practical knowledge of poultry rearing and farm management with science and technology. The project of about Tk 2 crore is expected to open a new horizon for hands-on teaching and research for poultry science students.

Speaking as chief guest at a virtual meeting on Saturday, 19 September, BAU vice-chancellor Prof. Dr. Lutful Hassan called it an exceptional initiative that bridges industry and education, saying skilled manpower would be much easier to develop if more local industrialists came forward. He said proposals to celebrate an "Entrepreneurship Day" and launch an "Entrepreneur Club" would soon go to the syndicate.

Prof. Dr. Md. Ilias Ali, chairman of the Department of Poultry Science, said the project began under a 2017 memorandum of understanding between the department, Paragon Group, the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC), AGCO Protein and Grain, and Poultry Consultant and Development Services Limited.

• Two automated poultry sheds were completed in July 2019 at a cost of about Tk 1.6 crore.
• Other essential infrastructure was recently completed for about Tk 25 lakh.
• Paragon Group will supply chicks, feed and treatment and oversee the broiler shed and the layer shed for one year.

Paragon Poultry managing director and BPICC president Mosiur Rahman said students should enter the job market with practical as well as theoretical knowledge, and the industry has begun entering export markets. BPICC vice-president Shamsul Arefin Khaled said the country once depended on foreign experts. Dr. Abdul Jabbar Sikder, director general of the Department of Livestock Services, said the country now meets demand for 104 eggs per person per year. Dr. Nathu Ram Sarker, director general of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, said research brought poultry to where it is and efforts are under way to export value-added broiler products.

Ehtesham B. Shahjahan, president of the Feed Industries Association, called for more public-private partnership and a modernised university curriculum; Kazi Zahin Hasan of WPSA-Bangladesh proposed short courses; Md. Rakibur Rahman Tutul of the Breeders Association proposed regular exchanges between industry leaders and students; and Dr. F. H. Ansari of ACI Agribusiness said skilled manpower would raise the skills and earnings of grassroots farmers as well as industry.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.