Export of cabbage is going to more than double this winter, as the demand for the Bangladeshi produce is growing across the globe.
The export volume might multiply in coming years, as local traders eye to tap the market during the January-February period when global demand goes up.
According to the Bangladesh Fruits Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters' Association (BFVAPEA), local companies are set to export 2,000 tonnes of cabbage from Jashore district from January.
The country shipped over 800 tonnes of cabbage last winter.
The increasing trend of contract farming and adoption of good agricultural practices (GAP) have contributed to the rising shipment, said insiders.
Md Zahirul Islam Khan, proprietor of Agrotech BD, a vegetable exporter, told the FE that his company will make a shipment of 500 tonnes of cabbages to explore the markets in Malaysia, Chinese Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam.
It takes them years to make cabbage exportable, he said.
They are now collecting cabbages from the contract growers in Jashore district, he added.
Md Arif Azad Prince, managing director of Masawa Agro Ltd., will also export 500 tonnes of cabbages.
Spain, China and Indonesia become the major global cabbage markets during the October-December period, he said.
"We will enter the market in January when the global prices go up and Indonesia itself starts importing the produce."
"If we can maintain the quality by adopting contract farming and GAP, we can easily make more than 0.1 million tonnes of export within a few years," he expressed the hope.
He also said they are working to explore the markets in Korea, EU and North America.
For export, local companies have signed contracts with 300 farmers in Jashore to get pest- and disease-free safe cabbage, said Arif.
The Netherlands-based Solidaridad Network Asia have provided all technical supports for the farmers to this end.
Country Manager of Solidaridad (Bangladesh) Selim Reza Hasan said their project 'SaFaL' ( Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Linkages) has been helping unlock the potential of Bangladeshi agri products in the domestic and export markets to bring prosperity to framers, businesses and the country.
"Through our market-based strategy, SaFaL has been contributing to substantial increment of farm productivity and incomes of 0.102 million smallholders engaged in dairy, aquaculture and horticulture farming," he said.
He also said vegetable farmers have been provided with GAP method to grow pest- and disease-free safe cabbage.
Senior Manager (Supply Chain and Business Development) of Solidaridad Md Moziball Hoque said cabbage yield in the country now stands at over 0.55 million tonnes while post-harvest loss is more than 35 per cent due to lack of storage facility.
Rising export of the produce will benefit both the farmers and traders, he said.
BFVAPEA president SM Zahangir said cabbage has very low contribution to the overall vegetable export worth about US$60- $70 million.
"But we see its great potential in coming years as demand is rising in the Asian countries," he said.
The government should provide facilities for farmers and traders across the country to boost cabbage export, he suggested.
The global market size of green cabbage is $ 5.8 billion (2017), of which Spain accounts for 19 per cent.
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