Drizzle, a common sight in many developing and developed countries almost daily, became rare in the past few decades. But this year, rains drop every now and then without any prior signal, forcing many to buy umbrellas as common people do in higher and middle-income countries. "This is an indication that we are fast proceeding towards the status of a middle-income country," quipped a friend of this writer.
Such a statement smacks of unfair assessment of the World Bank's recognition of Bangladesh's lower middle-income status. The country is no longer where it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Food production today has trebled, with the country looking for markets for surplus rice exports. It did export about 50,000 metric tons to Sri Lanka not long ago. This has effectively ended the bottomless-basket status of the country.
Today, an expatriate Bangladeshi is buying spices of Pran and Square Groups in as far-away place as Lima of Peru. Hilsa of the Padma is abundantly available in New York or Riyadh or Muscat. In Berlin, one South Asian could even purchase pulses of Bangladesh. This year Britons tasted mangoes from Chapainawabganj. Western markets are now getting supply of crocodiles, now being commercially grown in marshy lands of two districts of Bangladesh.
Thanks to the planners and decision-makers, Bangladesh has successfully avoided the fallout of the 2009-2014 crisis in the world economy. The country's development achieved in 2009-2014 has been praiseworthy compared to 2001-2006 period. During 2009-2014 period, average growth was 6.13 per cent, public investment rate rose to 6.9 per cent from 5.6 per cent of GDP, power generation capacity increased three times, per capita income increased more than twice, tax-GDP ratio was scaled up to 10.5 per cent from 8.8 per cent. The budget size increased about four times, development activities rose three-fold, rice production increased by 37 per cent, export, import and remittance each increased three times and foreign exchange reserve grew six times. In this period, foreign exchange rate remained stable.
Agriculture, which does not suffer from electricity and gas crises as industries do, still has huge unexploited potential to support the country's faster development. Agro-products of Bangladesh now are finding increasing access to foreign markets. The government too is extending its support to further agricultural growth. The 2015-16 budget has not lost sight of the needs in this field. It has ensured duty exemption and protection facility for agricultural inputs, fertilizer, seeds, essential commodities in the ongoing fiscal year.
As Finance Minister AMA Muhith said in his budget speech in parliament, the country has already achieved self-sufficiency in food due to agriculture-friendly policies being pursued. He said: "We are exporting various agro-products after meeting our own demand."
Although agriculture's contribution to the GDP has fallen, still it employs over 70 per cent of the people and ensures critical food security. The country is blessed with lands which are so fertile that any seed just thrown to the soil turns into a plant within months even without any tending. If farming could be commercialised, it would not only substitute many of our imports but also fetch sizeable foreign currencies through export of agricultural products.
Of late, the demand for Bangladeshi vegetables, fruits and agro-processed food items is rising among the non-resident Bangladeshis residing in different countries. The popularity of some agro-processed items like Papadum is higher among the European consumers. Potentials of ready-to-eat food items are also very high globally. Bangladesh has been exporting vegetables to many countries like the US, the EU, Middle East, Japan and Malaysia for years. The domestic value addition is very high in the business of agricultural and agro-processed food industries.
Happily, the government has started contract farming to produce salmonella bacteria-free betel leaf, vegetables and lemon in Narsingdi district as per the European Union action plans. Reports say, the EU has set up four time-bound action plans for Bangladesh to ensure the entry of bacteria-free farm products including betel leaf into its market. The contract farming has started in the district with the help of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), BARI and the Hartex Foundation. The Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU) has found a solution to prevent salmonella bacteria in the produces.
An expert of the BAU, who was involved in finding bacteria-free solution, advised the government to set up a central processing unit in Dhaka. The EU action plans are - contract framing, stopping fake phytosanitary certificates, developing inspection facilities and collection of laboratory equipment within the current fiscal year. The agriculture ministry will enhance facility to inspect crop fields. It will procure the machinery and equipment of 10 laboratories across the country within FY2014-2015 to raise the phytosanitary facilities.
Against this backdrop, the reported suspension of Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund (EEF) for agro-processing industries due to some procedural complexities comes as a shock. "At present, we are not receiving applications from entrepreneurs of agro-based sectors due to upgrading of the system," a high official of the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) said. But a large number of qualified and competent entrepreneurs are now waiting to apply for agro-based projects. Over Tk 2.48 billion for agro-based sectors is yet to be disbursed. It is time that the government took measures to resume the EEF funding for agro-based products in order to promote agriculture on a commercial basis. This will also give farmers fair prices for their produces.
arjayster@gmail.com
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