BD needs to develop effective food preservation tools to ensure food security
03 January 2023
Bangladesh
is losing 50 per cent of its fresh produce every year due to the lack
of a preservation mechanism and food processing facility -- bottlenecks
which stand in the way of the country's food security. The data were
revealed at 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.
In Bangladesh, the post-harvest mechanism
is not often available. The storage in the country is mostly full of
rice and potatoes. We are struggling to preserve perishable produce,
including fish, meat and vegetables. 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. If we can set up a
processing facility, the farmers would be able to sell those later in
the market.
Speakers in a meeting underscored the necessity of
regional cooperation at every possible means to collaborate on reducing
post-harvest losses. Regional and global cooperation is also imperative
to develop capacity, alongside sharing human resources, research, and
supporting infrastructure development. The main purpose of effective
food preservation is to preserve the basic quality of the food as much
as possible and to maintain nutritional value. Traditional methods and
techniques are still used in Bangladesh for food preservation and to
prevent putrefaction.
A maximum of 70 per cent of post-harvest losses
occur during transportation in the country. Bangladesh is prone to
frequent climate shocks that can potentially disrupt the food system,
increase inequality and jeopardise people's access to food. As food
security is directly related to food preservation and food losses occur
in the country regularly due to flash floods and storms, we need to
develop effective tools to preserve fresh food, food grain and fruits.
