Mechanical Rice Transplanting: A Profitable Business for Bangladeshi Agropreneurs

Mechanical rice transplanting has been emerged as an alternative of traditional rice transplanting in Bangladesh. Hence, this study analyzed the financial viability of rice transplanter operation businesses for agropreneurs using the "RuralInvest" software developed by FAO. The analysis considered that seedlings were raised by the farmers themselves and the estimated lifespan of a rice transplanter machine was set at 6 years. The direct beneficiaries were identified as 4 individuals, while an additional 40 individuals were considered indirect beneficiaries of this business model. The financial assessment based on field data revealed favorable indicators with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 45.09%, a net present value (NPV) of BDT 644276, a payback period of 2 years and an annual net income of BDT 199860. By adopting the mechanical rice transplanting agropreneur model, individuals are provided with an opportunity to generate income while contributing to the widespread use of mechanical transplanting methods. This not only addresses the challenges of labor scarcity and high wages but also improves the timeliness of transplanting thereby enhancing food security in Bangladesh.