From farm to market, oversight matters

As I had feared, the situation is unfolding much as expected. Recent heavy rainfall and flooding have damaged not only the Aus paddy crop and Aman seedbeds but also extensive areas of vegetable cultivation.

The effects are already visible in local markets, where vegetable prices have begun to rise.

For the moment, supplies from flood-free regions are helping to keep the market stable, but traders believe the pressure is likely to continue for at least the next two months.

There are also legitimate concerns that heavy rainfall may persist throughout the Bengali months of Shraban and Bhadra.

Farmers who have not adopted raised-bed cultivation are likely to suffer significant crop losses.

Vegetables such as chilli, brinjal, cucumber, beans, bitter gourd, papaya, ridge gourd, snake gourd, teasel gourd and yard-long beans remain particularly vulnerable to prolonged waterlogging.

Bangladesh often experiences storms and heavy rainfall during Ashwin and Kartik as well, extending the period of agricultural uncertainty.

The Department of Agricultural Extension undoubtedly provides technical guidance to farmers on coping with these challenges.

Nevertheless, I believe the wider adoption of climate-resilient farming practices is now indispensable. Bangladesh’s geography offers certain natural advantages.

The northern districts, including Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bogura and Rajshahi, generally lie on relatively higher ground and have become important vegetable-producing regions.

Likewise, planned vegetable cultivation in Narsingdi, Rupganj, Kapasia and Gazipur continues to play a vital role in supplying fresh produce to the capital.

Safeguarding these production centres and ensuring the uninterrupted movement of agricultural produce should therefore be a national priority.

At the same time, I believe market regulators must remain vigilant so that temporary shortages are not exploited by unscrupulous traders seeking to impose unjustified price increases.

With effective oversight, the vegetable market can remain reasonably stable even during periods of natural disaster.

Another issue that deserves attention is the persistent gap between wholesale and retail prices.

While some difference is inevitable, excessive disparities undermine market efficiency and place an unnecessary burden on consumers.

A well-functioning market economy should encourage fair competition rather than create opportunities for excessive profiteering.

Despite these challenges, there is ample reason for optimism. Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in developing home-grown agricultural technologies through its own research institutions.

Improved varieties of rice and vegetables, power tiller-operated seeders, precision farming applications and balanced fertiliser management technologies are already being used in different parts of the country.

Researchers have also made important advances in biotechnology, particularly in developing disease-resistant and drought-tolerant crop varieties.

The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) have each made valuable contributions to strengthening national food security.

Their continued work in developing higher-yielding and climate-resilient crop varieties will become increasingly important as climate change intensifies.

Equally encouraging is the steady growth of Bangladesh’s agricultural machinery industry.

Today, locally manufactured equipment meets around 80 per cent of domestic demand.

Bogura has emerged as the country’s principal centre for agricultural machinery manufacturing, while Jessore, Dholaikhal, Jinjira, Mirpur, Chuadanga and Sylhet have also developed thriving light engineering industries.

These workshops now produce a wide range of affordable farm machinery, including seeders, weeders, reapers, threshers and bed planters.

Besides reducing dependence on imports, this growing industry has created employment and demonstrated the country’s technological capabilities.

Yet important structural challenges remain. Rapid population growth and urban expansion continue to reduce cultivable land, while inheritance practices have fragmented farmland into increasingly smaller holdings, making large-scale mechanisation less economical for many farmers.

Access to affordable institutional credit also remains limited, preventing many smallholders from investing in improved seeds, irrigation systems and modern equipment.

Climate change poses perhaps the greatest long-term challenge.

Floods, droughts, salinity intrusion and extreme weather events are becoming both more frequent and more severe.

Although researchers have developed climate-tolerant crop varieties, their adoption remains uneven.

Greater investment in agricultural extension services and farmer training is essential if these innovations are to achieve their full potential.

Marketing infrastructure also requires substantial improvement. Many farmers continue to receive low returns because of weak supply chains, multiple intermediaries and inadequate cold storage facilities.

Expanding cold storage, food processing industries and efficient transport networks would reduce post-harvest losses while increasing farmers’ incomes.

Bangladesh’s growing reliance on imported food grains should also serve as a reminder that strengthening domestic agricultural production remains a strategic necessity.

While imports will always play a role in ensuring food security, excessive dependence on international markets leaves the country vulnerable to global price fluctuations, supply disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties.

In my view, agriculture should no longer be regarded merely as a traditional sector but as one of the principal pillars of national development.

Greater investment in research, mechanisation, climate adaptation, rural infrastructure, crop insurance and farmer education is not simply desirable-it is essential.

Bangladesh has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to overcome daunting challenges.

The remarkable growth in food production since independence stands as one of the nation’s greatest achievements. With sustained policy support, scientific innovation and effective market governance, I remain confident that Bangladesh can build a modern, competitive and climate-resilient agricultural sector.

The old saying still holds true: if the farmers thrive, the nation prospers. Protecting those who feed us is not merely an agricultural priority-it is the foundation of our long-term prosperity, stability and food security.

(The writer is Advisory Editor of
The New Nation).