Demand for combines is growing

Speaker speaks at USAID training on equipment operation

Star Business Report

Mon, Nov 4, 2024 11:22 AM Last updated: Mon, Nov 4, 2024 11:30 AM

Farmers harvest rice using a combine harvester in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha. The agricultural machine mows paddy rice and threshes grain at the same time, saving time and labor costs. The photo was taken a couple of months ago. Photo: Mostafa Shabuj

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Farmers harvest rice using a combine harvester in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha. The agricultural machine mows paddy rice and threshes grain at the same time, saving time and labor costs. The photo was taken a couple of months ago. Photo: Mostafa Shabuj

Demand for combine harvesters in Bangladesh is growing as farmers in the district find this type of farming equipment cost-effective, according to speakers at a program yesterday.

The equipment, which allows rice farmers to harvest and thresh rice, saves time and labor costs, they say.

This also reduces post-harvest losses, said speakers at the inauguration of a combine harvester training session at Pan Pacific Sonargaon in Dhaka.

The training is part of a project called the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia – Mechanization Enhancement Activities (CSISA-MEA), which is funded by USAID.

Owen Duncan Calvert, team leader of the CSISA-MEA project, said Bangladesh has imported at least 10,000 combine harvesters over the past few years.

However, he believes that local demand for combines was probably a couple of times higher than imports.

“We are still a long way from meeting market demand,” he said.

According to him, combines reduce the need for labor for harvesting, which significantly reduces labor costs. In addition, combines minimize physical damage to crops, improving their overall quality and market value, Calvert said.

“For these reasons, demand is growing,” he added.

He said that combines perform not only pruning, but also threshing of the crop. Additionally, it is estimated that using a combine reduces labor costs by about 50 percent, Calvert said.

“It’s much faster than waiting for workers to cut and thresh the rice,” he added.

Calvert also said the training will help combine harvester operators in Bangladesh by providing a safe, controlled environment to develop skills before operating actual equipment.

Simulation technology will provide effective training in the use of combine harvesters, he added.

Jeffrey Zaka, deputy director of USAID Bangladesh’s economic growth office, said agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh is not just about introducing new technologies.

It’s about creating a sustainable ecosystem where private sector innovation helps meet farmers’ needs, he said.

“By promoting solutions like combine harvesters, we are not only helping smallholder farmers increase productivity and reduce post-harvest losses, but also opening new doors for business growth,” he said.

“When farmers prosper and businesses prosper, we will drive long-term change that will strengthen Bangladesh’s agricultural future,” Zaka added.