Agricultural service providers are transforming rural livelihoods – here’s how
Agricultural service providers play an important role in farming. In addition to offering support, they also help to fill gaps in public extension systems. They deliver services such as pest and plant health diagnosis and integrated pest management (IPM) advice. By working with local authorities, PlantwisePlus is helping to train local entrepreneurs to become trusted service providers.…
Pesticide risk reduction: Strengthening policy, supporting practice
Pesticide risk reduction needs action at many levels, from stronger policies to improved farming practices. PlantwisePlus has supported measures to reduce pesticide risks throughout the food production chain. In this blog, we look at some of those measures and the positive outcomes they have achieved.
In photos: how plant clinics support advisory services in Bangladesh
Over the past decade, CABI has worked in Bangladesh to strengthen national plant health systems, first through Plantwise and since 2021, PlantwisePlus. The programme works with partners to ensure farmers have access to reliable, science-driven crop health advisory services. Plant clinics and digital support platforms are helping with early detection, diagnosis, and management of crop…
PlantwisePlus develops agro-input dealer training scheme with Bangladesh government
Pest outbreaks in Bangladesh are causing a rapid increase in the sale of pesticides. Farmers are turning to chemical products such as fungicides, herbicides and insecticides to manage pests, which they often buy from their local agro-input dealer. However, these chemicals can harm the environment and human health. In Bangladesh, pesticide risks are significant due…
Advancing gender-inclusive agricultural advisory services in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, agriculture forms the backbone of rural communities. It employs nearly two-thirds of the workforce, many of whom are women. However, the sector faces significant threats from plant health challenges, including devastating crop pests such as invasive fall armyworm. Moreover, the threats disproportionately affect smallholder farmers, especially women. At 58%, women make up an…
Meet Shahadul Islam: the rice farmer using digital tools to improve yield and quality
Meet Shahadul Islam, a farmer from Jhenaidah District, Bangladesh. Shahadul is now a local role model for sustainable rice production, having adopted the PlantwisePlus digital tools and transformed his farming practices. For nearly a decade, Shahadul cultivated rice on his one-acre land. He regularly faced pest and disease challenges such as rice blast and brown…
Study briefs: PlantwisePlus supports Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka achieve climate and agricultural goals
CABI has published three new study briefs exploring how the CABI-led global PlantwisePlus programme supports Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka achieve some of their climate and development priorities within agriculture.
Driving e-extension in Bangladesh through partnerships
“Digital innovation isn’t just about tools, it’s about transforming access to knowledge where it’s needed most.” In Bangladesh, millions of smallholder farmers struggle with unpredictable weather and frequent pest and disease outbreaks. Traditional agricultural extension services often can’t reach them fast enough. Digital agricultural extension, or e-extension, offers a solution. Using mobile phones, apps, and…
Training held to enhance Trichogramma mass rearing to sustainably manage lepidopteran pests in Bangladesh
CABI and BARI joined forces to help increase the capacity for Trichogramma wasps reared at a new facility officially opened in Rangpur to sustainably managed lepidopteran pests in vegetables. A training course was held at RARS-BARI in Rangpur as part of a project implemented under the CABI-led PlantwisePlus programme to utilize biological control agents in…
How plant clinics are strengthening crop health services in Bangladesh
When the first-ever plant clinic in Bangladesh opened in Dhaka in 2013, it initially faced a lack of interest due to its novelty and limited awareness among farmers. However, it went on to expand, providing advice to over 17,000 farmers and led to the current 383 plant clinics that are active in Bangladesh today. Government…