The 17th Meeting of the Governing Board of the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) began in Dhaka and brought together senior policymakers, agricultural scientists and delegates from South Asia to boost cooperation in farming development. The two-day meeting took place at a city hotel and opened with a focus on practical steps to improve food security, promote sustainable farming and share useful knowledge between countries. Dr Md Harunur Rashid, Director of the SAARC Agriculture Centre, welcomed guests and stressed SAC’s role in promoting sustainable farming, building resilience to climate risks and helping farmers adopt better methods. The session included Bangladesh leaders and experts such as Dr Nazmun Nahar Karim, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, and guests from the SAARC Secretariat and other regional bodies. Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, Director for Agricultural Research and Development and Sustainable Development Finance at the SAARC Secretariat, spoke about the value of regional work and noted that the Secretariat supports policies to raise productivity, innovation across borders. Abdul Motaleb Sarker, a former secretary with experience in SAARC and BIMSTEC affairs, highlighted how sharing skills and research can help the whole region. A virtual address came from Ali Amir, chairperson of the 16th Governing Board and director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Maldives, who urged unity and stronger research links across member states. High commissioners and embassy representatives from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Pakistan, India and Nepal attended, and officials said senior staff from national research systems and international agencies joined to offer technical support. The meeting also marked a formal change in leadership when the chairpersonship moved from the Maldives to Nepal, and Sabnam Shivakoti, a joint secretary in Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, assumed the role and presided over sessions. Representatives from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka were present in person while delegates from India, Bhutan, the Maldives and Pakistan joined virtually, showing how the forum blends face-to-face and online work. Participants used the platform to review recent projects, share success stories and discuss next steps for joint studies, training programmes and pilot projects that can be tested in different countries. Speakers stressed practical aims such as improving seed systems, sharing climate-smart practices, strengthening extension services and building links between research labs and farm fields so new ideas reach farmers fast. The gathering was described as a chance to turn good research into real action by testing methods in local conditions, training technicians and using small pilot grants to scale what works. By the close of the first day, guests agreed to keep working together, share data and plan cooperative efforts that aim to advance sustainable agricultural development across South Asia and help farmers earn steady incomes.
