As per the government move to diversify farming, other agricultural products like fruits and flowers, besides food grains, are also getting popularity among farmers.
Due to the government's allout support and commercial planning, farmers are now inclined towards commercial cultivation of different varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables and pulses.
According to statistics, fruits and flowers are currently the most advanced crops in the country. At the same time, cultivation of vegetables, food grains other than paddy, oilseeds, spices and pulses has also expanded at a high rate.
At present, paddy is the main food crop in more than two-thirds of the total cultivable land of the country. Following a series of initiatives taken by the government and the private sector with an emphasis on commercialization and diversification of agriculture, farmers have now become interested in the production of other crops and agricultural products.
As a result, the area under cultivation of these crops and agricultural products is now increasing. In this situation, the concerned people are emphasizing on speeding up the diversification activities of agricultural products.
According to recent World Bank statistics, between 2008 and 2018, fruit cultivation in the country expanded by 102 percent. In terms of plant growth, floriculture is in the next position with 91 percent. Besides, the area under fiber products and spices has increased by 73 and 63 percent respectively. Besides, the area under pulses has increased by 61 per cent, maize by 48 per cent, animal feed by 35 per cent, wheat by 35 per cent, potato by 31 per cent and paddy by 30 per cent. At the same time, cultivation of winter vegetables has expanded at the rate of 29 percent, 28 per cent for oilseeds, 20 per cent for sugarcane and three percent for summer vegetables.
On the other hand, even a decade ago, the country produced very little fruit in the five months from September to January. At that time, consumers had to rely on imported fruits the most.
In recent times, the government's continuous support has helped to increase the production of various fruits including jujube, watermelon and muskmelon in the country. Besides, cultivation of new varieties of mango, sweet orange, orange, dragon fruit and other foreign varieties is also increasing.
According to government statistics, the area under fruit cultivation has expanded by about 102 percent in the last one decade. At present, farmers are cultivating all-year (Baramasi) and foreign fruits as well as seasonal local fruits throughout the year.
According to statistics, in the 2018-19 financial year, the country produced about 49.48 lakh tonnes of all kinds of fruits. The government has plans to increase it to half a crore tonnes this season. As the production of dragon and malt among foreign fruits is increasing, the concerned people hope that in a few years time, there will be an opportunity for large scale export by meeting the local demand.
On the other hand, commercial floriculture started in the country in 1983 at Gadkhali and Panisara in Jhikargachha of Jessore. At present, Jessore region is meeting about two-thirds of the country's flower demand.
At present about 20,000 farmers across the country are involved in floriculture. Of this, only half of Jessore region. Flowers are being planted in about one and a half thousand hectares of land here. Besides paddy and jute, the farmers are also busy in flower cultivation throughout the year. Eleven types of flowers including tuberose, rose, gerbera, marigold, gladiolus, gypsy, rodstick, calendula, chrysanthemum are spreading all over the country. Commercial cultivation of the product has now extended beyond Jashore to Jhenaidah, Magura and Narail.
A member of the General Economics Department of the Planning Commission (Senior Secretary) and the former president of the Bangladesh Agricultural Economists Association Dr Shamsul Alam said, "There is no alternative to diversifying agriculture to make it more profitable commercially as well as to increase export".
Agriculture has been the only hope in this pandemic, he mentioned. That is why, the massive initiative of agricultural mechanization is good, but proper implementation of the project is important, Shamsul said.
According to the government project proposal, the Seventh Five-Year Plan focuses on activities related to expansion of modern agricultural technology, production of high value crops, increasing productivity through the use of agricultural machinery and increasing the real income of farming families. This project is in line with the Seventh Five Year Plan.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has recently said the agriculture sector has been given the top priority in Bangladesh’s budget as the country seeks to overcome the COVID- 19 crisis.
