Dr Selina Hayat Ivy, mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC); said, “We are working relentlessly to meet the demand for safe food and save the health of the city dwellers. Safe and nutritious food will be ensured in all wards of Narayanganj city. Besides, various initiatives have been taken to create opportunities for walking and sports in urban areas.”
She said these while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the first weekly Farmers’ Market set up in the NCC area. The ceremony took place on Friday (September 2).
The NCC Mayor formally inaugurated the first Farmers’ Market in Ward No. 15 area of the NCC to ensure the supply of safe and nutritious food for the city dwellers.
Inaugurating the weekly makeshift marketplace, Dr Selina Hayat Ivy said, “Although we are self-sufficient in food, ensuring safe food is a major challenge for us. Farmers’ Market can deliver safe food directly from farmers to consumers. This will meet the demand of consumers for safe food, while farmers will get fair prices for their produce. The local economy will also be strengthened.”
The area-based first weekly ‘Farmers’ Market’ has been launched in Ward No. 15 in order to ensure the benefit of both the farmers and consumers through the supply of nutritious and fresh food items at fair prices.
Ten farmers, certified by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), from Baktabali union will sell their produced vegetables and fruits in the weekly market from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm every Friday.
The ‘Farmers’ Market’ was launched under the ‘Dhaka Food System Project’ of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (FAO).
Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust is implementing the project with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands. The Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) expanded its support in establishing the first Farmers’ Market in the NCC area.
Gaous Pearee, director at WBB Trust; delivered the welcome speech in the inaugural ceremony of the weekly Farmers’ Market with Asit Baran Bishwas; councilor of Ward No. 15 of NCC; in the chair.
Ziaur Rahman, senior project manager of the WBB Trust; moderated the event, while it was addressed, among others, by Md. Tajul Islam, additional deputy director (horticulture) of Narayanganj DAE; and Pedro Andres Garzon Delvo, food systems policy economist at FAO.
The event was attended, among others, by Moniruzzaman Monir, councilor of Ward No. 14 of NCC, Kamrul Hasan Munna, councilor of Ward No. 18, Sharmin Habib Binni, councilor from reserved seat for Ward No. 13, 14 and15; Afsana Afroz Biva, councilor from reserved seat for Ward No. 16,17 and 18; Mahmuda Hasnat, upazila agriculture extension officer; Jahangir Alam, sustainable agriculture specialist at Dhaka Food System Project; and Md. Anwarul Islam, food system coordinator of Narayanganj.
In her speech, Gaous Pearee said that the safe vegetables available in this market of NCC area will play a vital role in improving the health of the city dwellers.
Pedro Andres Garzon Delvo said, “Farmers are one of the driving forces behind the success of Farmers’ Market operation. Through this market, consumers will get safe food, and farmers will get fair price for their produce. Farmers’ Markets are a tradition in rural Bangladesh. We are trying to recreate it in the urban area.”