Rights activists, experts on public health, councilors of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and its senior officials have said that the easy availability of safe food at affordable prices is now a major challenge for the urban people. Such a challenge can be tackled by setting up ‘Farmers’ Market’ in urban areas, including in the capital, they opined.
They were speaking at an event orgnaized on the occasion of commencement of ‘Farmers’ Market’ in the DSCC area. The event titled ‘Establishing Neighbourhood Farmers’ Market in the Area of Dhaka South City Corporation’ was held at the Shitalakhya Hall in Nagar Bhaban of DSCC on Tuesday (June 28).
Now six makeshift ‘Farmers’ Markets’ are going to be set up in the DSCC area in order to ensure the supply of nutritious and fresh food items to the consumers at fair prices. The marketplaces are going to be set up in the areas of Wards No. 1, 15, 19, 39, 56 and 33 of DSCC under the project titled ‘Dhaka Food System’.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust are implementing the project with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands and the DSCC authorities.
Farid Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of DSCC; was present at the event as the chief guest, while Naima Akter, Project Manager at WBB Trust; presented the keynote paper and Ziaur Rahman, Senior Project Manager of the organization, moderated the event.
It was attended, among others, by Md. Mahbubul Alam, Councilor of Ward No. 1 of DSCC; Abul Bashar, Councilor of Ward No. 19; Dr. Fazle Shamsul Kabir, Chief Health Officer; Md. Sirajul Islam, Chief Urban Planner; Merina Nazneen, Zonal Executive Officer of Zone-1; Babar Ali Meer, Zonal Executive Officer of Zone-3, Md. Shahid Ullah, Panel Mayor of DSCC; Sharifa Parveen, Food City Coordinator of FAO at DSCC; Gaous Pearee, Director at WBB Trust; KJM Abdul Awal, Deputy Director of DAE; Md. Jasimuddin, Sub-Assistant Livestock Officer; and BM Mostafa Kamal, District Fisheries Officer.
In his speech, Farid Ahmed said the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has to play a vital role in selecting farmers of the makeshift markets. Otherwise, it will be difficult to ensure safe food as the Farmers’ Market will be set up in open space. He, however, suggested that samples can be tested at the food laboratory of DSCC in order to ensure safe food. Bangladesh Food Safety Authority can be involved with the efforts. He assured that the DSCC will provide all-out support in this regard.
Farmers’ Market is a marketplace system where the farmers deliver their produced food items directly to the consumers without intervention of middlemen. As a result, alongside the supply of healthy food to the consumers, the farmers will also benefit financially.
The initiative of setting up six ‘Farmers’ Markets’ in the DSCC area has been taken following a successful implementation of a pilot project in the area of Ward No. 6 of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the initiative of five other Farmers’ Markets in the DNCC area.
10 farmers, certified by the DAE, Department of Livestock and Department of Fisheries, will sell their produce in a market to consumers a day every week.