Tk 600cr can be earned annually by exporting organic products: experts A.Q.M. Ferojule Hoque RSHEDF Bangladesh has great potentials for organic farming due to its suitable land and climate and it can earn Tk 600 crore annually by exporting organic products including organic foods and vegetables, according to agriculture experts. They called for expanding organic farming in the country to ensure food security and for formulating a national organic agriculture policy to add a new dimension to the economy. Talking to New Age on Friday, Abdus Salam, President of Bangladesh Organic Products Manufacturers Association, said around 55,000 acres of land have been brought under organic farming in the country. ‘There is a huge demand of organic products in the domestic market as those are totally grown without using pesticides.’ Major organic products are paddy, date molasses, soyafoods, popcorn, peanuts, drychili, pickles, natural soap, banana, amla, jackfruits, great neem and rice protein powder produced in the country. Salam said trades of organic products in the global market are gradually expanding and at present the global market stands worth $ 133 billion for organic products. ‘Our neighboring India exported organic products worth $ 400 million in 2012… We can also earn around $ 75 million (Tk 600 crore) annually by exporting organic products including various foods and vegetables,’ he said. He said organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply. Agronomists at an expert consultation meeting on Thursday stressed the need for establishing a national accreditation body to certify the organic crops to facilitate their exports. Hortex Foundation organised the expert consultation meeting on organic farming in Bangladesh at Sech Bhaban. Andre Leu, president of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM), Germany, attended the meeting as chief guest. Presenting a paper, Saleh Ahmed, post-harvest and quality assurance expert at Hortex Foundation, said although organic sector in Bangladesh emerged in 1988, by 2006 the country became the second in Asia with 177,700 hectares of land under organic farming. But so far, there is no evidence of any organised domestic market for organic products in the country. He said production and marketing of organic produces are mainly done by contract farming for private organisations, companies or chain shops and it does not ensure fair price for the producing farmers. Shaikh Tanvir Hossain, sustainable agriculture adviser to Friends In village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB), said the government should take effective initiative through institutional approach to introduce organic farming in Bangladesh. He suggested creating awareness among producers and consumers, developing national organic policy, incorporating curricula in the courses of academic institutions and developing the certification and regulation system and forming an organic certification body. Speaking about global perspectives, Andre Leu said organic system has higher yields than conventional farming in extreme weathers such as droughts, heavy rainfall and other natural calamities. ‘Research shows that organic systems use water more efficiently… It has better infiltrations, retention and delivery to plants that help avoid drought damage.’ AFM Fakhrul Islam Munshi, former state minister for agriculture, said supermarkets are growing in the country day by day and those markets are increasing demands for organic products. ‘We can produce 200,000 tonnes of organic honey in Bangladesh every year.’
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 06:48:25 +0000
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