The agro-processing sector in the country has the potential to create a large market like that of readymade garments (RMG) at home and abroad if necessary help from the government is ensured. Speakers made the observation at the inaugural session of a day-long training on improvement of production in small and medium agro-processing industries of the members of Bangladesh Agro-Processors’ Association (BAPA) in the city on Saturday. The BAPA and the Agro-Products Business Promotion Council (APBPC) jointly organised the training, said a press release. About 40 members of BAPA, who are agro-SME entrepreneurs based in Dhaka, took part in the training programme. Senior Vice President of BAPA Mohammad Sahab Uddin spoke at the inaugural session as chief guest with General Secretary of BAPA Raju Ahmed in the chair. In his address, the chief guest said the training was a timely step. People in the country were now getting interested in taking ready food items. It increased the demand in the agro-food sector. “But the agro-processing suffers from lack of skills, experience and appropriate technology. The sector has the potentials like that of the RMG of Bangladesh. If the government increases its supports for us and if we can ensure quality of products the sector can expand markets at home and abroad,” he observed. He said that at the training the barriers to growth of the sector needed to be discussed and those should be identified for drawing attention of the government to the solution. In his address, the BAPA general secretary said that now the number of exporters and competitors in the agro-processing sector is higher than when it started its journey in the nineties. Referring to the recently passed safe food law, he urged the authorities concerned to be cautious about any misuse of the law. He said if the SME entrepreneurs are harassed in the name of law enforcement, then the objective of the law would not be achieved.
Source: https://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/03/29/86707
