Processing fruits and vegetables
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Faridul Islam
Bangladesh produces good quantities of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. The output can generate a surplus for export after meeting the domestic needs. Besides, there is the potential to produce more to increase the exports. Not to speak of exploiting the favourable conditions to produce more fruits and vegetables, it is regrettable that thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables actually rot each season due to a dearth of the facilities for processing and preservation. It means a waste of resources for their growers. It means many people go without their essential vegetables and fruits and the country is deprived of potential foreign exchange earnings.
For example, quality mangoes, in large quantity, perish at Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, every year. Pineapples rot at Mandhpur, less than a hundred kilometers from the capital city. The hilly districts of Chittagong and the hill tracts incur staggering losses as pineapples and other fruits and vegetables perish in the absence of prompt marketing, or the facilities for processing and preservation.
Vast quantities of fruits and vegetables grows in the south-western districts of Jhenidah, Magura, Narail, Jessore, Kushtia, Chuadanga and Meherpur, also perish for the same reasons. Out of total output of these areas 35 per cent of tomatoes, 10 per cent of bananas, 15 per cent of water melons, 30 per cent of guavas and 15 per cent of jackfruits perish each year.
Establishment of cold storages and processing plants in the fruit and vegetable growing areas could provide the growers the needed services at reasonable costs. It will encourage the growers take an interest in saving their produces for marketing. Similarly, by setting up pulping and canning facilities close to where the fruits and vegetables are grown in plenty will help add value to the produces.
The government should encourage the setting up of all these facilities. The Krishi (agricultural) bank and other public sector banks can be motivated to provide credits, on soft terms and conditions, for such activities for value addition. The government's department of agricultural extension can take the initiative to set up these facilities as a starter and to draw the attention of the private sector to these business potentials.
A number of export-oriented agro-industries have been doing path-breaking work in this direction. They have contracted farmers to produce round the year on guaranteed stable price for their yields. The prospect of regular earning kept the farmers motivated to keep up production. More significantly, the farmers have been trained to produce quality products following the latest health and safety standards. Secondly, the agro-industries have acquired good processing and packaging technologies to substantially add value to the produces from the fields and go for better marketing of the processed and packaged food items to Bangladeshi as well foreign consumers. Some business houses here have been successful in building up a value-chain to meet the interests of all, from the grower to the consumer.
Agro-industries welcome more private initiative in processing and exporting agro-products. The new firms would get the advantage of even more sophisticated technologies to innovate food products and market them with better packaging. They can exploit a wider market access at home and abroad.
Bangladesh produces good quantities of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. The output can generate a surplus for export after meeting the domestic needs. Besides, there is the potential to produce more to increase the exports. Not to speak of exploiting the favourable conditions to produce more fruits and vegetables, it is regrettable that thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables actually rot each season due to a dearth of the facilities for processing and preservation. It means a waste of resources for their growers. It means many people go without their essential vegetables and fruits and the country is deprived of potential foreign exchange earnings.
For example, quality mangoes, in large quantity, perish at Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, every year. Pineapples rot at Mandhpur, less than a hundred kilometers from the capital city. The hilly districts of Chittagong and the hill tracts incur staggering losses as pineapples and other fruits and vegetables perish in the absence of prompt marketing, or the facilities for processing and preservation.
Vast quantities of fruits and vegetables grows in the south-western districts of Jhenidah, Magura, Narail, Jessore, Kushtia, Chuadanga and Meherpur, also perish for the same reasons. Out of total output of these areas 35 per cent of tomatoes, 10 per cent of bananas, 15 per cent of water melons, 30 per cent of guavas and 15 per cent of jackfruits perish each year.
Establishment of cold storages and processing plants in the fruit and vegetable growing areas could provide the growers the needed services at reasonable costs. It will encourage the growers take an interest in saving their produces for marketing. Similarly, by setting up pulping and canning facilities close to where the fruits and vegetables are grown in plenty will help add value to the produces.
The government should encourage the setting up of all these facilities. The Krishi (agricultural) bank and other public sector banks can be motivated to provide credits, on soft terms and conditions, for such activities for value addition. The government's department of agricultural extension can take the initiative to set up these facilities as a starter and to draw the attention of the private sector to these business potentials.
A number of export-oriented agro-industries have been doing path-breaking work in this direction. They have contracted farmers to produce round the year on guaranteed stable price for their yields. The prospect of regular earning kept the farmers motivated to keep up production. More significantly, the farmers have been trained to produce quality products following the latest health and safety standards. Secondly, the agro-industries have acquired good processing and packaging technologies to substantially add value to the produces from the fields and go for better marketing of the processed and packaged food items to Bangladeshi as well foreign consumers. Some business houses here have been successful in building up a value-chain to meet the interests of all, from the grower to the consumer.
Agro-industries welcome more private initiative in processing and exporting agro-products. The new firms would get the advantage of even more sophisticated technologies to innovate food products and market them with better packaging. They can exploit a wider market access at home and abroad.