Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman and Standard Chartered Bangladesh Chief Executive Abrar A Anwar pose with the winners of AGROW Award at the Westin hotel in Dhaka yesterday.

Standard Chartered Bangladesh (SCB) yesterday honoured four individuals, four institutions and two groups of farmers that have made outstanding contributions to the agriculture sector.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury handed the awards to the winners of the second AGROW Award at the capital's Westin Hotel.

Lal Teer Seed Ltd, the largest seed company in the private sector, won the award in the Best Associated Organisation in Innovation and Research category.

The company is engaged in developing, producing, processing and marketing high-yielding seeds of good quality. At present, it markets 131 varieties of 33 vegetable crops.

Brac, the world's largest nongovernmental organisation, was given the award in the Best Associated Organisation in Support and Execution category.

Amar Desh Amar Gram, a virtual marketplace that provides better economic opportunities for the farm community, got the award in the Best Use of Technology in Agriculture category. 

Through the e-shop, the villagers list their produce for city buyers to place orders. In less than two days the buyers receive the produce, which they would otherwise buy at a higher price from the city markets.

Back in the village, the producers receive a fair price as the money gets electronically transferred to their bank accounts upon delivery. Seamark Group, one of the largest seafood processors, was awarded the Best Agricultural Exporter.

Established in 1976 by brothers Iqbal, Kamal and Bilal Ahmed, Seamark has grown to become one of the largest international exporters of seafood and vegetables.

The company has its own deepwater fishing trawlers in the Bay of Bengal, a processing and distribution plant in Chittagong, a distribution centre in New York and headquarters, and processing plants and distribution centres in Manchester.

Seamark's daily output of shrimp and prawns is an outstanding one million per hour. Its annual exports stand at $400 million globally, with $60 million shipped from Bangladesh.

Billal Sikder, a tomato grower from Jessore, was recognised as the Farmer of the Year in the male category, while Fatema Zohora, who has diversified agriculture in Chuadanga, won the award in the female category.

A group of farmers from Satkhira were awarded in the Farmer of the Year (Subsistence Market Farmer Group category) for their combined efforts to overcome difficulties and lift themselves out of poverty through cultivating.

Mahbub Anam, managing director and Tajwar Awal, director, of Lal Teer Seed; Sudhir Chandra Nath, programme head of seed and agro enterprise of Brac, Iqbal Ahmed, chairman and chief executive of Seamark Group, and Nurur Rahman Khan, chairman of Amar Desh Amar Gram, received the awards on behalf of their organisations.

The winner in each category received a crest and a certificate. The three winners in the Farmer of the Year categories were handed over prize money of Tk 5 lakh, while those with the honourable mentions got Tk 50,000 each.

Speaking at the ceremony, Matia Chowdhury said the AGROW Award has lived up to its promise to recognise individuals and organisations. The winners have played exemplary roles in agriculture through hard work and innovation, she said.

“We expect the AGROW Award and this year's winners and nominees to continue their commitment and inspire the millions of farmers across the country to take the sector to the next level,” Chowdhury said.

Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank, said he hopes the award will inspire the grassroots farmers, dairy, crops and livestock distributors and marketers and support research and logistics industries to enhance their commitment towards further development of the sector.

“I hope through this humble initiative we will be able to motivate thousands of farmers around the country to come up with exemplary contributions and help build a sustainable agriculture sector,” said Abrar A Anwar, chief executive of Standard Chartered Bangladesh that introduced the award last year.

He said his bank has reached the farm loan disbursement target set by the central bank in the last few years and is confident of repeating the success this year too.

Bitopi Das Chowdhury, head of corporate affairs of Standard Chartered Bangladesh, and Shariful Islam, managing director of Bangladesh Brand Forum, the implementing partner of the award, also spoke.