Photo: IFAD Press release

DHAKA, Nov 27, 2025 (BSS) – A Japan-funded project to strengthen Bangladesh’s sesame value chain for international exports was launched today in Tokyo, aiming to enhance product quality, climate resilience and market access for farmers in Pabna and Rajbari districts.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Md Daud Ali along with dignitaries from various Japanese government offices attended the event in Tokyo, said a press release revived here.   
 
Ambassador Daud Ali welcomed the project as a timely step toward expanding Bangladesh’s agricultural export base. 

He said the initiative holds strong potential to transform the country’s sesame sector into a high-value export industry, while supporting rural farmers, improving income opportunities and advancing Bangladesh’s broader export diversification efforts.

The project, titled “Strengthening Sesame Value Chain for Exports in Bangladesh”, was inaugurated at the United Nations University (UNU), jointly organised by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Euglena Co. Ltd.

Funded by MAFF, the initiative seeks to ensure that Bangladeshi sesame meets Japan’s import standards by upgrading every component of the value chain from improved cultivation methods and climate-resilient technologies to post-harvest processing, food safety compliance and reliable market linkage. 

The project will run during 2026–27 and will be implemented by IFAD, Euglena Co. Ltd. and Grameen Euglena.