RAJSHAHI, Apr 30 (BSS): Prospects of agro-processing enterprises is bright in the Rajshahi region as it produces surplus crops especially food-grains, fruits and vegetables, business leaders, bankers, agronomists and researchers reveal.
They viewed the region has enormous potentials for making agro-processing enterprises sustainable and profitable as it has been producing varieties of fruits and vegetables contributing to the national economy.
They focused on the agricultural potentials of the region with special emphasis on value added agro-processing opportunities and agro-based industries.
It could add to the industrialization efforts of agro-based and agro-processing industry in the region for a sustainable and well formed linkage of production, processing and marketing.
Abu Bakker Ali, President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), said the region, a food surplus area, produce adequate crops particularly rice, maize, wheat, fruits especially mango, banana, papaya and tomato and vegetables for the last couple of decades by dint of its suitable soil condition, topography and climate.
Vegetables like potato, cauliflower, tomato, white gourd, bean, spinach, puin, pea and baby corn are being produced in the region in larger amount side by side with broccoli, carrot, celery, capsicum and strawberry.
Muhammad Ali Sarker, another business icon of the city, said the region has now been fulfilling 52 percent of the country's total food demand along with supplying 76 percent raw- materials of the country's agro- based industries. "Unfortunately, there is not any big industrial unit here," he said.
Potato flakes have great international demand and its production technology is relatively simple and labour intensive. Besides, the region alone produces 49 percent of the country's total mango production and there is an ample opportunity for establishment of mango-based industries here.
The districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabgonj, Natore and Dinajpur produce good quality aromatic rice. There exists a tremendous scope to export aromatic rice. There is a need of collaborative approach involving producers, millers, exporters and financial institutions.
Required number of feed mills can be established for meeting demand of feed mills in the wake of flourishing poultry industries in the country.
