The SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) and Gram Unnayan Karma (GUK) reaffirmed their joint commitment to empowering smallholder farmers across South Asia through agricultural collaboration, innovation, and inclusive value chain development.
A delegation from SAC visited GUK’s headquarters in Bogura on Saturday following the closing workshop of the regional project titled “Livelihood Enhancement of Small Farmers in the SAARC Region through Small-Scale Agro-Business focusing on Value Chain Development,” funded by the SAARC Development Fund (SDF).
The meeting was attended by Dr. Harunur Rashid, Director, SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), and Dr. Md. Younus Ali, Senior Program Specialist (Livestock), SAC. From GUK, Dr. Mahbub Alam, Senior Director, presented an overview of GUK’s ongoing initiatives in rural development, agro-based enterprise promotion, and farmer capacity building.
Other participants included Md. Raihanus Saadat, Director (ICT & RM), Md. Zia Uddin Sardar, Assistant Director (Communication & Documentation), and representatives from SAC, SDF, and the Rural Development Academy (RDA). Project focal points of the livelihood enhancement program from Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives also joined the session.
During the meeting, both organizations discussed areas of collaboration in joint research, knowledge exchange, and scaling up innovative agro-business models to improve farmers’ access to technology, markets, and finance. The SAC–GUK partnership aims to create a sustainable agricultural value chain that supports employment generation, women’s empowerment, and rural prosperity across the SAARC region.
Dr. Harunur Rashid, Director of SAC, emphasized the importance of partnerships between regional institutions and local development organizations like GUK in translating agricultural research into tangible benefits for small farmers. He noted that such collaborations are vital for achieving food security, improved nutrition, and rural economic resilience in South Asia.
Both SAC and GUK reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together to advance agricultural innovation, strengthen rural livelihoods, and promote inclusive growth across the SAARC member states.
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