The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bangladesh produces large quantities of fruits and vegetables. The production of some items generates surplus for export after meeting the domestic demand. There is the potential to produce and export a great deal more. But thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables actually rot for dearth of processing and preservation facilities. The rotten fruits and vegetables mean wasted resources for their producers and loss of possible foreign exchange earnings from their export.

According to reports, fruits and vegetables produced in vast quantities perish every year. It was assessed that fruits and vegetables that get spoiled include 35 per cent of tomatoes, 10 per cent of bananas, 15 per cent of water melon, 30 per cent of guava and 15 per cent of jackfruits. Establishment of cold storages and processing plants in the fruit and vegetable growing areas can help stop such loss.

The government should encourage the setting up of such preservation and processing facilities. The Krishi Bank and other banks may be directed to disburse credit on soft terms among entrepreneurs to this end. A number of export-oriented agro-industries have been doing path-breaking work in this direction. They have contract farmers to produce round the year with guaranteed stable price for their yields. More significantly, the farmers have been trained to grow quality produces.

Private operators who intend to set up successful agro-industries with an export dimension, need to essentially study the methods applied by the few firms which are there and which have been successful in exporting agro-products. New firms should try to do better than the old ones by using more sophisticated technologies, innovating with food products and in their packaging. In that case, their attraction will not be limited to only expatriate Bangladeshis, but also help gain a wider market access abroad.