An Assignment on Existing Scenario, Importance,

Problems & Future Potential of Vegetables Production

in Bangladesh

Course Tittle: Agribusiness Management

Course Code: AGB 501

Submitted To:
Dr. Mst. Tania Parvin
Assistant Professor, Department of Agribusiness
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University
(BSMRAU)

Submitted By:
Lubna Jahan
Reg No: 16-05-4066
Department of Agribusiness
Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Bnagabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Agricultural University,Gazipur-1706
 Existing Scenario, Importance, Problems & Future
Potential of Vegetables Production in Bangladesh

Introduction
Bangladesh has an overwhelmingly agricultural economy. Bangladesh is rich in producing agro-
based goods, and has registered substantial agricultural growth in the last three decades through
adoption of good agricultural practices2 (GAPs), modernization in production and harvesting
procedures, and use of improved and sustainable technology. Currently, the country is self-
sufficient in the production in cereal foodstuff through simultaneous rise in productivity and
farming area. Among the other agro products, vegetables play a very important role in supporting
the domestic demand for food and ensuring food security. Bangladesh’s climate (both tropical and
sub-tropical) and soil are suitable for a wide range of vegetables cultivation. GDP from Agriculture
in Bangladesh increased to 10739.10 BDT Million in 2019 from 10468.80 BDT Million in 2018.
GDP From Agriculture in Bangladesh averaged 9012.60 BDT Million from 2006 until 2019,
reaching an all-time high of 10739.10 BDT Million in 2019 and a record low of 7017.10 BDT
Million in 2006(Ministry of agriculture, 2020). Sustained government investment in irrigation
facilities, rural infrastructure, agricultural research, and extension services has helped Bangladeshi
farmers achieve dramatic increases in agricultural production. The process of agricultural
production is, however, underpinned by the increasing use of agrochemicals and multiple
cropping. And while significant production transformation has been achieved and food production
has more than doubled since independence in 1971, these have mostly supported the country’s
large population base rather than uplifting the living standards of the average citizen. Vegetables
are rich sources of essential vitamins such as A, C, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin and minerals
such as calcium and iron. They contribute to the intake of essentials nutrients from other foods by
making them more palatable. They provide dietary fiber necessary for digestion and health and are
essential for maintaining health curing nutritional disorders (Terry and Leon, 2011) .According to
FAO, vegetable production has increased five times in the past 40 years. Bangladesh has scored
3rd in global vegetable production, next to China and India. The farmers are getting a huge profit
from vegetable production which is changing their life. Literate youths are joining the industry and
are achieving targets with the use of improved technology and their talents. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), a matured person should consume daily 400 grams of vegetable
(excluding potato) to live a healthy life. Average per capita daily intake is 56g/day but
recommended 250g/day (FAO, 2015).

Considering the potential of the vegetables sector, various production and export promotion
initiatives have been underway in Bangladesh since the early 1990s. Nevertheless, the production
in the vegetables sector in Bangladesh and the accompanying performance in exports are often
beset with a myriad of problems. The sector faces a number of constraints both in the domestic
front as well as in the export market. For example, supply side constraints, supply chain and value
chain issues, and policy-induced measures in the importing countries have all worked in
constraining vegetables exports from Bangladesh. In that context, a study that attempts to analyses
export readiness of vegetables sector in Bangladesh through identifying such constraints and
suggesting remedial measures acquires a paramount importance. Within the agro-based and agro-
processed products sector, the vegetables sub-sector has been receiving an increasing focus. As
evident from the introductory chapter, this was due mainly to the fact that the country’s climate
and soil are suited for a wide range of vegetables cultivation, that the production of vegetables are
increasing over the years, and that the trend in its exports has also shown an encouraging sign.

For Bangladesh, identifying the constraints on vegetables production is important to expand it,
since the supply of vegetables is quite irregular in most Asian countries, including Bangladesh (Ali
and Hauk, 2012). Only a small proportion of total cropped areas of Bangladesh are vegetables
production. Most of the agricultural production in Bangladesh is strenuous in rice, occupying about
75 percent of total cropped areas, whereas only 7 percent of the total cropped land is used for
horticultural crops, including root and tuber crops (BARI, 2017). The area under vegetable
cultivation accounts for only 2.56 percent of the total cropped areas. From this small proportion of
the cultivable land area, Bangladesh produces about 1.76 lac metric tons of vegetables annually,
of which about 65 percent are produced in winter and the rest in summer. Therefore, production is
not well distributed throughout the year and produce for domestic use is relatively scarce in the
off-season (DAE, 2016). Most of the agricultural production in Bangladesh is strenuous in rice,
occupying about 75 percent of total cropped areas, whereas only 7 percent of the total cropped
land is used for horticultural crops, including root and tuber crops (BARI, 2017).

However, most of these researches actually attempt to investigate the macro concerns associated
with the agro-based or agricultural sector, where the vegetables subsector is only looked upon as
a small subset of that broader analysis. Hence, find that despite these growing interests in the agro-
based products, only a handful of studies (Hoq et al., 2012; Karim et al., 2011; Quddus, 2009;
Sabur et. al., 2004) endeavor to provide an in-depth and exclusive focus on the vegetables sector
as a whole. The main shortcoming of) is that it only offers a simplistic, generalized presentation
of value addition, and thus fails to explain the difference in value addition across products and
across export destinations, and the factors attributable for such differences(Hoq et al. 2012).

Agriculture in Bangladesh has been transforming gradually from low input subsistence to semi
commercial to commercial agriculture with higher level of use of input and production of high
value produces. Moving ahead with this transformation process will require acceleration of
technology diffusion and adoption. Although Bangladesh achieved self-sufficiency in food grains
production support from the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is still needed to transform it into
commercial farming.

Importance
Vegetables are grown worldwide, on large and small farms, on good and marginal land, in urban
and rural areas, and by large commercial growers and small subsistence farmers. The fact that
short production cycle vegetables allow multiple cropping and a significant volume of the
vegetables grown worldwide are produced in small plots, militates against accurate production
statistics, preventing a clear understanding and appreciation of the value of these crops to the world
food supply. Vegetables are good sources of fiber, which lowers the body cholesterol level,
consequently decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is required that vegetables should be
used frequently as they are good for heath and provides all the essential nutrients for normal body
functions when consumed in appropriate combination.
Vegetables in much of Asia and the Pacific region are grown by small-scale farmers who are
unorganized and scattered in different locations, and this also applies to Bangladesh. Concentration
on production is important because low production can affect all the players in agribusiness. At
the production level, external factors such as weather and susceptibility to diseases and pests have
significant effects on the output and quality of agricultural produce. Low production is also a result
of limited access to inputs like irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, and credit, as well as of poor cultural
practices, poor soil, and low levels of management skills. In addition, the two most important
factors affecting the quality of the output are the choice of the right cultivar and the maturity at
which the crop is harvested (Hossain M.A., 2011). In addition, a low level of production may
ultimately hamper the agro-industry supply chain. Vegetables are grown for 3 specific purposes as
follows:

 Subsistence production in the homestead

 Commercial production; and
 Seed production.

Major activities involved in vegetables farming are provided below:

1. Development of vegetables seed at breeder farm/imported seed;

2. Distribution of quality seed to the farmers;

3. Distribution of quality fertilizers to the farmers;

4. Distribution of quality pesticides/insecticides to the farmers;

5. Distribution of bio-agents/sex pheromone trap to the farmers for biological control of fruit flies;
6. Distribution of irrigation equipment to the farmers;

7. Production management/intercultural operation of vegetables;

8. Postharvest management- processing (sorting, grading, washing, treatment) of vegetables;

9. Collection and trading of vegetables (at local level);

10. Marketing of vegetables (in national and international markets);

11. Storage;
12. Packaging of vegetables;

13. Quarantine inspection and certification for export;

14. Customs clearance; 15. Export of vegetables; and

16. Cash incentive support provided by the GOB.

Problems
The constraints of vegetable production are given below:
1. Unavailability of sufficient number of good varieties.
2. Inadequate supply of quality seeds.
3. High incidence of insects and diseases.
4. Lack of knowledge of farmers about scientific methods of crop management.
5. Unscientific post-harvest handling and heavy spoilage.
6. High price and low quality pesticides.
7. Crop and yield loss due to natural hazards (floods, heavy and untimely rain, drought,
storms).
8. Scarcity of suitable land for vegetable production

(Source: Rashid, 2008; Quasem, M.A. 2013)

The constraints of vegetable marketing are given below:

 Rural transportation is a key factor in determining market access for growers and traders.
Many market participants are handicapped by undeveloped roads and absence of timely
transportation facilities which is necessary for movement of perishable vegetables from the
grower's premises. Vegetables from the remote areas particularly from the other side of the
Jamuna and Padma often get delayed due to inadequate ferry services.
 Vegetables grown in the homestead and' nearby land are usually disposed of by the growers
at the local markets who cannot bargain with the beparies and are compelled to sell at the
price dictated by them. 
  The condition of most of the rural assembly markets is far from satisfactory. In the absence
of adequate space, shed, internal roads and water connection etc., the quality of the produce
deteriorates.
 Proper packing and handling system has not been adequately developed in the country.
Bamboo baskets and gunny bags are used in some cases while bulk loading is also practiced
 Marketing credit facilities are limited in the country.
 Wholesale markets have not yet developed with facilities for easy movement of trucks
loading, unloading, grading, sorting and packing of vegetables.
 Processing industry has not yet been adequately developed in the country because of high
processing costs.
(Source: Rashid, 2008; Quasem, M.A. 2013)
If these constraints can be effectively addressed, productivity of farming, marketing of vegetables
and incomes of growers/exporters would be enhance.

Future potential
Vegetables trade is considered a part of the global horticultural trade industry that consists
essentially of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Among them, trade in vegetables has been particularly
flourishing. Growth in international trade in vegetables is also contributing to greater employment.
Among all internationally traded vegetables, potato was by far the most popular, with other
widespread vegetables being sweet potato, tomato, onions and cabbage. . Even though each
vegetables product has a different market concentration, when we combined them we found that
the major existing markets for our vegetables could be categorized as the United Kingdom,
Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Qatar, Russia, Italy and Kuwait. We
have also identified Japan, Canada, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, United States, Bahrain, and Australia as
the promising or potential markets for Bangladeshi vegetables. Commercialization and
diversification of agriculture can affect the structure and the level of employment. Family labor
may be substituted by hired labor, and changes may also take place in the level of labor input as
well as the distribution of labor by gender (von Braun 1995). On-farm Research Division (OFRD)
of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Pabna has initiated an effort to test
technologies and adopt safe food production practices at field and homestead level. It has also
organized a movement for popularizing safe food. Three years ago the IPM project, BARI and an
International NGO collaborated in this attempt. These efforts are yet to gain momentum with
regard to the availability and regular demand of safe foods in the market. There is need to
understand the underlying problems and prospects implicated in the scaling up of production and
consumption of safe foods. Bangladesh exporting more than 48 types of vegetables. Among them
different types of gourd (pointed gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, white gourd, teasle gourd,
sponge gourd and bottle gourd) are exporting, which is 29 percent of total export of vegetable.
Other them Brinjal, pumpkin, okra, cucumber, indian spinach, stem amaranth, radish bean etc are
exported. It has become abundantly clear by now from the discussion in this sub-section that except
in the case of potato, there remains a mismatch between production and export of vegetable
products. This warrants the intervention from the Government with a view to expediting both the
horizontal and vertical diversification in the vegetables sector in Bangladesh. Such export
diversification assumes urgency when we consider the following phenomenon prevalent in
Bangladesh. This relates to the fact that production in vegetables varies with the changes in seasons
in Bangladesh. In the peak season, supply of vegetables increases sharply so that price falls equally
sharply. As supply outweighs demand, producers lose out heavily. The availability of good
opportunity of exports will obviously turn the table in favor of the growers, and ultimately enhance
domestic production further. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has tried to lay out rules,
guidelines, standards and codes for fair and just application of NTMs through its Agreement on
SPS Measures and Agreement on TBT. Measures highlighted in this sub-section conform to the
WTO provisions, and therefore, can be considered legitimate.

References

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