Bangladesh Bank (BB) is to provide potential entrepreneurs with adequate financial assistance for setting up agro-processing industry in the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT).

The central bank is ready to help develop agro-processing industry in the CHT area for the benefit of the farmers who produce large amount of fruit, vegetables and other perishable goods every year, the BB Governor Dr Atiur Rahman told BSS in an exclusive interview. The governor, who came to the hill district last week to inaugurate the first ever conference of the ginger and turmeric producers of the country, told BSS that the central bank was ready to finance agro-processing industry.

“But potential entrepreneurs should come forward first,” he said.

Hundreds of farmers in the three hill districts produce plenty of pineapple, orange, banana, papaya, jackfruit and mango every year, but do not get fair prices of the perishable produces only because of lack of proper marketing facilities.

Apart from these fruit and vegetable, a large number of farmers in the area are now producing some major spices including ginger and turmeric, which are meeting around one-forth of the local demands.

The farmers in this area believe that they would get proper prices of their produces with development of agro-processing industry and proper marketing chain.

News: Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ Feb-2011