Mercantile Bank holds workshop on hybrid dryer tech to reduce post-harvest losses

Mercantile Bank PLC recently organised a workshop titled “Hybrid Drying System for Reducing Post-harvest Losses of Nutrient-enriched Crops and Fishes in Bangladesh” at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in Mymensingh.

Mati Ul Hasan, managing director of the bank, inaugurated the workshop as the chief guest.

Prof AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, vice-chancellor of the university, attended the programme as the chief patron, according to a press release. The event brought together agricultural entrepreneurs, beneficiaries, scientists and students.

Earlier, Mercantile Bank PLC signed an agreement with Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) to support an agricultural research project titled “Development of a Hybrid Dryer System to Reduce Crop and Fish Post-Harvest Losses”.

The project was made possible through a donation of Tk 1.60 crore from the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund, enabling the university to develop and deploy innovative technology to support the country’s farmers and fishers.

Through this CSR initiative, Mercantile Bank PLC aims to bridge the gap between academic innovation and field application, helping to minimise post-harvest losses and strengthen national food security.

The workshop was organised to present research findings and demonstrate the effectiveness of the 19 hybrid dryers developed under the initiative.

As part of the bank’s commitment to social impact, 10 of these dryers have already been distributed free of cost to users in Cox’s Bazar, Patuakhali, Satkhira, Tangail, Khagrachari and Rangamati.

An additional six dryers are currently being distributed, while three units are being used by the university for further research.

Among others, Md Zakir Hossain, deputy managing director and chief risk officer of the bank; Tapas Chandra Paul, deputy managing director and chief financial officer; and Prof Md Monjurul Alam, technical specialist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bangladesh, were also present.