The project seeks to enhance market access for Bangladesh’s gourd varieties by improving food safety and plant health standards. It aims to strengthen the capacity of both public and private sectors in managing pests, pesticide residues, and adopting better agricultural and hygiene practices. Additionally, the project will encourage the use of biopesticides and climate-smart agricultural practices to improve environmental sustainability and resilience. Key beneficiaries include gourd producers, exporters, and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Building on the results of an STDF-funded PPG that applied the P-IMA framework in the country, the project aims to increase vegetable exports, benefiting smallholder farmers and opening access to new markets.
In Bangladesh, more than 16 million farmers are involved in producing 15 million metric tons (MT) of vegetables annually1. However, only 40,000 MT2 of the domestically produced vegetables (less than 0.3% of the total production) is exported by 245 exporters3, primarily to the European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK), Middle East, and Asia.
Bangladesh's vegetable exports have declined by 59% over the past decade due to non-compliance with international SPS standards. Key issues include poor agricultural practices, inadequate pest management, and limited testing facilities. The project aims to address these challenges by enhancing the capacity of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the private sector to implement SPS best practices.
10 out of the total 54 vegetable products exported from Bangladesh belong to the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family, with annual production of 1.3 million MT. However, only 18% of the production is exported, mainly to the UK and the Middle East. Key challenges for gourd exports include high prevalence of quarantine pests, like Fruit Fly and Thrips, which cause border rejections. This issue is compounded by limited pest management capacity and the use of excessive pesticides. Additionally, pesticide residues and microbial contamination have led to multiple shipment rejections.
This project is based on the results of an STDF funded PPG that applied P-IMA to identify Bangladesh's SPS priority investment needs (STDF/PPG/831). It proposes to focus on the gourd varieties, which were among the 10 selected products from horticulture and fisheries sectors determined by the P-IMA working group as relevant export-oriented horticulture products, but which exports are affected by different SPS challenges.
1 DAE Statistics 2021-22
2 Ibid
3 Export Promotion Bureau. “Exporter’s Database: Exporter List (Goods).” Export Promotion Bureau, https://www.epb.gov.bd/site/files/aca7df47-0d5b-4ebb-84eb-42790727acb0/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epb.gov.bd%2Fsite%2Ffiles%2Faca7df47-0d5b-4ebb-84eb-42790727acb0%2FExporter-List-. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.