A local Bangla newspaper reported recently that imported big-size garlic was selling at Tk.180 per kg in wholesale market whereas locally produced small size garlic was selling at Tk.100 to Tk.120 per kg. Quality of local variety is good but restaurants and housewives prefer big ones. Bangladesh has been importing sizeable quantity of garlic from abroad to meet the local demand for last couple of decades. The size of local variety of garlic is very small, about 10 to 20 grams each. The size of imported garlic is 150 to 250 grams per piece, that is, imported garlic is ten times heavier than the local variety.
It was shown in a television programme that in the Ohio State of the USA, a carnival is organised every year to display garlic. The largest garlic that was shown there weighed more than 250 grams. Usually, in Bangladesh large-size garlic are imported from China.
The soil of Bangladesh in general is very fertile. Almost all types of plants can grow here. Once it was thought that teak plant would not grow in Bangladesh but it was proved wrong. Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) can import large-size garlic seeds from the USA and China, as it imports potato seeds from the Netherlands, for onward transmission to the garlic growers of every district. About six decades ago, the BADC started importing potato seeds. Bangladesh is now surplus in potato and also exports some quantity now. We hope that Bangladesh will be able to grow large size garlic to meet its local demand within a couple of years and thus save valuable foreign currency. Only an initiative from the BADC is necessary.
Md. Ashraf Hossain
8/A, Ramna, Dhaka-1000.
[email protected]
- Saturday, 23 November 2024 |
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