Plan yet to see any tangible progress

The government's plan to set up a central warehouse for preserving and processing agriculture produce is yet to see any progress even after one year of taking the decision due to bureaucratic tangle, officials said.
The government last year decided in principle to establish the central warehouse and packaging centre with cool-chain management system, aiming to boost the country's exports and ensure welfare of the farmers.
The government and the donor, Asian Development Bank (ADB), are yet to complete necessary procedures on the financing arrangement for the project worth around Tk 18 billion, said an official at the ministry of agriculture (MoA).
"We hope to start implementation of the project next year," joint chief of the MoA Md Anwar Hossain told the FE.
The project is expected to help meet the phytosanitary requirements of the importing countries, he said.
According to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) of Bangladesh, export of vegetables declined more than 22 per cent to US$ 81 million in fiscal year 2016-17 from $104 million in the previous fiscal year.
The government, businessmen and farmers have long cherished for a central warehouse to maintain quality of the farm produces and boost the exports.
The MoA will deal with agriculture production and quality while the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) will supervise the preservation system of the farm produces.
The government has started focusing on increasing production of agricultural cash crops and maintaining quality of the produces in an effort to change the fate of farmers and make them economically self- reliant.
If the central warehouse is established, it would ensure fair prices for the farm produces, according to people in the business circle.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com