Special Correspondent: In a significant step toward strengthening Bangladesh’s aquaculture sector and advancing sustainable feed and fish production, the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC), in collaboration with the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), organized a high-level Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on “Developing Master Trainers in Good Aquaculture Practice.” The initiative brought together senior feed industry professionals, researchers and development partners to build a new generation of master trainers capable of transferring modern aquaculture technologies and practical knowledge to fish farmers and feed dealers across the country.
The one-day training programme was held on today (04 August) at the BPICC Dhaka Training Facility. The inaugural session was chaired by Moshiur Rahman, Convener of BPICC, while Erin Covert, Agricultural Attaché (Foreign Agricultural Affairs Officer), USDA, U.S. Embassy Bangladesh, attended as the Chief Guest. The ceremony was also attended by Md. Sirajul Haque, Senior Vice President of WPSA-BB, and Agriculturist Mohammad Faizur Rahman, General Secretary of WPSA-BB & Mahe Alam Sarwar, Consultant-Bangladesh, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC).
Welcoming the participants, Moshiur Rahman emphasized BPICC’s commitment to advancing Bangladesh’s fisheries and livestock industries through strategic partnerships and technical capacity development.
“As the apex body representing Bangladesh’s animal protein industries, BPICC has been working tirelessly to support the sustainable growth of the fisheries and livestock sectors. Today’s programme marks the beginning of our collaborative journey with the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council. We are confident that this partnership will generate lasting value for the industry through continued technical cooperation and knowledge exchange,” he said.
Delivering the keynote remarks, Erin Covert underscored the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s long-standing collaboration with the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council in promoting agricultural innovation around the world.
“The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council is one of USDA’s long-standing cooperative partners, bringing together a wealth of technical expertise. Through organizations like USGBC, we are able to support agricultural professionals in Bangladesh with training on good agricultural practices and demonstrate the benefits of utilizing high-quality U.S. agricultural commodities, including soybeans, corn, sorghum and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS),” she said.
The technical sessions were conducted by Md. Zahidul Islam, Chief Executive Officer of UK Bangla Feeds Ltd.; Mr. Aung Tun Aye, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Agro Solution; and Dr. Mohammad Abdul Baten Bhuyain, Doc Fellow, WorldFish Bangladesh. Drawing on extensive industry and research experience, the trainers delivered comprehensive sessions covering modern aquaculture management, feed technology, nutrition, and effective training methodologies for technical professionals.
Senior executives and technical personnel from Bangladesh’s feed industry participated in the intensive programme, gaining practical insights into modern aquaculture production systems, advanced feed management, and science-based advisory approaches that can be effectively transferred to fish farmers and feed dealers nationwide.
The training curriculum focused on internationally recognized Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP), climate-resilient pond preparation, water quality monitoring, fish health management, disease prevention, biosecurity, cost-efficient pond management, balanced nutrition, and strategies for improving farm productivity. Participants also received in-depth guidance on modern feed ingredients, feed quality assurance, feed handling and storage, traceability, labelling, and customer advisory practices.
Beyond technical knowledge, the programme placed strong emphasis on developing participants’ instructional and facilitation capabilities. Through practical exercises and interactive learning, participants were trained to design and deliver concise, engaging and technically sound advisory sessions using modern communication techniques, visual learning tools and farmer-centered extension approaches. The objective is to enable these professionals to serve as master trainers who can effectively disseminate best practices throughout Bangladesh’s aquaculture and feed sectors.
The organizers believe the initiative represents an important milestone in strengthening Bangladesh’s aquaculture support system by creating a skilled pool of trainers capable of accelerating technology transfer, promoting responsible feed management and enhancing sustainable fish production. Through continued collaboration between BPICC and the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, the programme is expected to contribute to improved productivity, stronger industry competitiveness and long-term food security in Bangladesh.
