Per capita deficiency of vegetables 158gm a day

The daily per capita deficiency of vegetables in the people's diet is 158 gm, experts said, pointing to the need for raising the production of vegetables significantly in the country.

The experts came up with the revelation at a seminar held on the occasion of the National Vegetables Fair 2018 that began on the Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh (KIB) premises in the city on Sunday.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury inaugurated the three-day fair, aiming to raise awareness about nutrition security.

The agricultural ministry (MoA) organised the fair with the theme -- 'Grow vegetables throughout the year, get nutrition and health as well as money.'

At the seminar held at the KIB Auditorium, vice-chancellor of Patuakhali Science and Technology University Dr Md Harunur Rashid presented the keynote paper titled 'Growing vegetables throughout the year to eradicate poverty and ensure nutrition security in a changing climatic condition'.

He revealed that per capita deficiency of vegetables in the country is 158 gm a day.

He said the total production of vegetables in the country is 3.73 million tonnes and per capita consumption is currently 62 gm a day against the Food and Agricultural Organisation's (FAO) recommendation of 220 gm. So, the country needs to raise the production to 13.7 million tonnes.

The paper also said only 9.38 per cent of 8.5 million hectares of land are used for cultivation of vegetables in the country, which could double if coastal and hilly areas are brought under farming.

The paper strongly recommended the use of quality seeds for higher output.

It said the demand for quality veggie seeds is 4,500 tonnes, 15 per cent of which is imported by local and multinational companies. They also produce 30 per cent of the seeds while the remaining seeds come from local farmers.

Dr Rashid also expressed concern that a number of farmers are being tricked into buying fake seeds every year.

The private sector should be more cautious in this regard and affected farmers should be compensated, he said.

He also called on the state-run research organisations to develop salinity-, drought- and flood-tolerant vegetables to offset the impacts of climate change, he said.

Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury said growing hybrid vegetables have helped raise the production manifold in the last two decades.

At the same time, local varieties of vegetables and pulses should also be promoted and protected, she said.

She also emphasised the need for exporting processed vegetables and fruits to earn more foreign exchange.

"Processed jackfruits, which are called 'vegetable meat', could also be exported to the Middle East and other countries," she said.

Director general of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Md Abdul Aziz also spoke at the seminar presided over by senior secretary of agriculture ministry Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah.

Some 80 companies are showcasing over 100 kinds of vegetables and seeds in the fair.

The fair will remain open daily from 9.00am and 8.00pm until Tuesday.

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