50pc fresh produce lost every year
Speakers at dialogue blame lack of preservation facility
Post-harvest mechanism is not often available in South Asian countries. The storage in Bangladesh is mostly full of rice and potatoes. We are struggling to preserve the perishable produce, including fish, meat and vegetables.
Bangladesh is losing 50 percent of its fresh produce every year due to the lack of a preservation mechanism and food processing facility -- bottlenecks which stands in the way of the country's food security.
The data were revealed in a regional dialogue that highlighted the need for broader regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing to reduce post-harvest loss. The event urged governments across South Asia to initiate an awareness campaign to avoid the loss.
The day-long dialogue, titled "Improved Nutrition and Food System", was organised by The Sapling Initiative, in collaboration with Brac and IPE Global Limited at a city hotel yesterday.
The Sapling Initiative is a coalition of decision-makers from major national and regional organisations in South Asia, with the common goal of developing integrated, local and national action for food systems to combat malnutrition in all its forms.
Nasreen Sultana, senior programme specialist (horticulture) of Saarc Agricultural Centre, said the post-harvest loss is more or less around 45 percent in India and Bangladesh.
The lack of preservation and processing mechanism leads to 50 percent of produce being lost in Bangladesh.
"Post-harvest mechanism is not often available in South Asian countries. The storage in Bangladesh is mostly full of rice and potatoes. We are struggling to preserve the perishable produce, including fish, meat and vegetables," she observed.
She underscored the need for advertisement, awareness campaigns, seminars, workshops, and advocacy by the civil society to mitigate the loss and achieve sustainable food security in the country.
During winter in Bangladesh, there is a massive growth of tomatoes. However, farmers do not get their fair share of prices and are forced to destroy the produce, mentioned Nasreen.
"If we can set up a processing facility, the farmers would be able to sell those later in the market," she advised.
Dechen Tshering, chief of the National Post Harvest Centre under Bhutan's Ministry of Agriculture, said they encourage farmers for post-harvest management in many ways -- like the use of tools and mechanisms in an eco-friendly way.
In terms of regional cooperation, we are looking at every possible means to collaborate on reducing post-harvest losses, and take support from neighbouring countries to develop capacity, alongside sharing human resources, research, and supporting infrastructure development, he said.
Nilanthi Wijewardane, principal research scientist, Head of the Division of Research of the National Institute of Post-Harvest Management in Sri Lanka, said they have found that a maximum of 70 percent of post-harvest losses occur during transportation in her country.
She stressed on policy and institutional support to protect the produce during transportation, from the location of production till it reaches the consumer.
Begum Matia Chowdhury, chair of the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Agriculture, said, "The government has ensured substantial progress in ensuring food security for the population. Bangladesh is prone to frequent climate shocks that can potentially disrupt the food system, increase inequality and jeopardise people's access to food."
"I hope Sapling will play a catalysing role in steering regional cooperation to develop sustainable food systems across South Asia," said the former agriculture minister and chief guest of the event.
Dr Shamsul Alam, state minister for planning, said to ensure accessibility and availability of safe, nutritious food in South Asia, institutional setup -- complemented by multi-sectoral and multi-country cooperation -- is necessary.
Siddharth Chaturvedi, senior programme officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, stressed on the importance of connecting the dots and translating country level-issues to regional collaborations for effective solutions in countries under the Sapling initiative.
Amadou Ba, senior agriculture economist at The World Bank, Dhaka, re-emphasised the need for regional collaboration among South Asian countries and their alignment with the UN Food Systems Summit.