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its retailers in business ethics and ways to administer chemical pesticides.
The multinational company set aside Tk 10 crore for the project. It has
established the Syngenta Learning and Development Centre in Boyradighi
village in Shajahanpur upazila in Bogra at a cost of Tk 3.5 crore. The
centre has been built in an effort to train its 16 ,000 retailers and create
awareness among eight lakh farmers about the benefits of using high-quality
seeds and reducing the use of chemical pesticides. Farmers usually use 70
percent pesticides and 30 percent seeds to produce crops, company officials
said. "We are trying to enhance the use of good quality seeds from 30
percent to 70 percent for better yield and reduce the use of chemical
pesticides from 70 percent to 30 percent to protect the environment and cut
costs," said M Muzammel Hussain, regional sales manager for Syngenta. "This
training programme will make me a fair businessman and change my attitude
towards work," said retailer Md Azaharul Ali, 42. He has been in the
pesticide business at Bhauli Bazar at Thakurgaon upazila for the last eight
years. Syngenta Training Manager Purabi Sarker said the training changed the
retailers' attitude towards business in most cases. "I have learnt business
ethics, environmental issues and the right way of administering chemical
pesticides, which is quite helpful to my business," said Shah Mohammad
Rezaul Karim, a businessman. He began a pesticide business as a Syngenta
retailer a few years ago. Sarwar Ahmed, managing director of Syngenta
Bangladesh, said the company plans to educate eight lakh farmers on the
appropriate application of pesticides and use of high-quality seeds. "The
company has trained 504 retailers in business ethics and other related
issues with the help of USAID, under the Poverty Reduction by Increasing the
Competitiveness of Enterprises ( PRICE) project," Ahmed said.
