The government is going to take a set of measures immediately to ensure smooth transportation and marketing of seasonal fruits this peak harvesting season amid the pandemic.
Ensuring fair prices for farmers, easy transportation through minimising transportation costs, delivering mango, lychee, jackfruit and other summer fruits at consumers' doorsteps, good management of fruit processing, raising banking hours, expansion of railway cargo service were some key initiatives.
It was disclosed at an online view exchange meeting (zoom platform) organised by the agriculture ministry. Agriculture Secretary Md Nasiruzzaman presided over it.
Agriculture Minister Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Former Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, State Minister for ICT Junaid Ahmed Palak, former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman, journalist Shykh Seraj, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Bangladesh Representative Robert Simpson, trade and transportation association leaders, among others, took part in the online meeting.
Dr Razzaque said the lockdown came as a blow to farmers as the demand declined notably. For such low demand, seasonal traders like 'faria' and 'paiker' were also not interested in fruit and vegetable trade, he added.
Farmers had been incurring losses for their unsold crops as traders were not purchasing because of low demand and significant rise in transport costs, the minister said.
Marketing of produce emerged as a big challenge now, he said, adding that measures would be taken to keep the total value chain easy and sound during this pandemic.
Matia Chowdhury said truck owners should be given incentives on fuel so that transportation costs could decline.
She said mango should be purchased for police, army, hospitals, prisons and other government agencies which could help farmers in getting fair prices for their fruits.
The food minister said identity cards for fruit traders, aratdars, farias and farmers should be issued for their easy movement and transportation without any restrictions.
He said banking hours should be increased for smooth transaction during this peak fruit and cereal business.
Mr Palak said a mobile app namely "ek shop" would be launched within next several days which could be a great platform for online fruit trade.
Mr Khaled Mahmud said all kinds of water cargo services opened now for normal transportation of farm produce.
The country is expecting to produce 2.6 million tonnes of mango, 2.2 million tonnes of jackfruit and 0.06 million tonnes of lychee this summer.
Mango and jackfruit harvest has already started in many places while lychee harvest will start within a week.
