The Ministry of Agriculture is holding the National Vegetable Fair in the capital for the sixth time. The fair begins tomorrow, Monday, and runs until 2 March.

Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam gave details of the three-day fair at a press conference at the Secretariat on Sunday (27 February).

"This year's theme is 'Grow safe vegetables, for health and nutrition all year round'. Agriculture Minister Md Abdur Razzaque will open the fair at 3pm on 28 February. The fair will run at the KIB auditorium from 10am to 8pm every day," the secretary said.

He said 52 government and private organisations will have stalls at this year's fair. "The fair could not be held last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The fifth fair was held in January of the year before (2020), with 65 stalls and three pavilions. Vegetables worth Tk 30 lakh were sold over the three days," he said.

"Vegetable production has risen almost sevenfold over the past 12 years. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Bangladesh is now third in the world in vegetable production, after China first and India second. Agriculture contributes 13.29 percent of GDP, and 100 species of vegetables are now grown in the country," he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.