Bangladesh and Argentina have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the first time for bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture.

The MoU was signed between the two countries in the Ministry of Agriculture conference room at the Secretariat on Thursday morning.

Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque signed the MoU on behalf of Bangladesh. However, the agreement was previously signed by Argentina's Minister of Economy Sergio Tomás Massa. Marcelo Carlos CESA, ambassador of Argentina to Dhaka, was present on his behalf.

At that time, Dr Razzaque highlighted the significance of the MoU, expressing that it opens up opportunities for global collaboration.

He emphasised Argentina's wealth of natural resources and advanced agricultural technology, envisioning this agreement as a new chapter in global cooperation.

Under the MoU, Bangladesh will receive priority in smart agriculture technical support, including the import of wheat and soybeans, added the minister.

"We have a spiritual relation with Argentina through football, now this relation would further enhance cooperation in agriculture," he hoped.

The agriculture minister underscored Argentina's expertise in agriculture and agricultural technology, noting Bangladesh's significant imports of various cattle feed, including wheat and soybeans, from Argentina.

He also highlighted the potential for collaboration in developing improved crop varieties, and biotechnology and addressing global challenges such as the climate crisis.

Ambassador Marcelo Carlos CESA said that there are many opportunities between the two countries in terms of cooperation in agriculture. The MoU opened up the opportunity to work together in those sectors, he added.

The agriculture minister further discussed potential exports of Bangladeshi products such as mangoes, pineapples, potato chips, and agricultural processing to Argentina.

“We can take assistance from Argentina in the fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology," added the minister.