DHAKA, Jan 23, 2019 (BSS) – A three-day long 4th ‘National Vegetable Fair-2019’ begins tomorrow in the capital to encourage people to consume more vegetables.
The main theme of the fair is ‘safe vegetable would be cultivated to make nutrition available for round the year’ (Nirapad Sabji Karbo Chash, Pusti Milbe Baro Mash). The fair will conclude on January 26.
Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque will inaugurate the fair at city’s Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) at Farmgate.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and Krishibid Abdul Mannan MP of Bogra-1 also will attend the fair as the special guests.
About the vegetable fair, Dr Nurul Islam, Director of Agriculture Information Services (AIS) of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), told BSS today that “we are organizing the fair along with the private organization with an objective of safe and quick vegetable production, make vegetable production technology popular among the people and to ensure the export of the vegetable.”
The fair will exhibit more than hundred varieties of vegetables which already have been procured from the farmers level by various organizations under the agriculture ministry, said the AIS official.
The government should stress on developing forward and backward linkage in vegetable production and management so that the people can get fresh vegetable and vegetable products round the year, said Abul Kalam Azad, Director General of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI).
The country is now producing more than 1 crore metric tonne potato, but country’s consumption is not more than 80-90 lakh metric tonne, he said, adding that so the excess potato needs to be brought under process.
Quoting a recent survey by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the BARI DG said “we need to take around 300 grams vegetable per capita in a day, but the per capita vegetable intake is now not more than 150 grams for whole the year.”
The vegetable fair can play a positive role in changing food habit as earlier our per capita rice consumption was 465 grams in a day which now has declined to 448 grams due to higher vegetable consumption, said M Manzurul Hannan, Managing Director of Hortex Foundation.
The fair will starts from 9am and it will continue till 9pm. The fair will have 71 stalls and five pavilions.
On the opening day, a rally will start from the south plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad at 9.30am and it will come to an end on the KIB premises after visiting different thoroughfares.
The programme includes seminars, bringing out of supplements in different major dailies and cultural functions.
After the inaugural session, a seminar will be held at 11am at KIB auditorium. Dr Golam Morshed Abdul Halim, Director of Horticulture Research Center of BARI, will present a keynote paper.
Former Planning Commission member and ex-vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Agriculture University Dr M A Sattar Mondol, former Managing Director of Hortex Foundation dr M Abdul Jalil will remain present at the opening session.
Agriculture Secretary M Nasiruzzaman will preside over the function.