Hope Amid Price Decline: Bagerhat’s Tomatoes Exported to Malaysia

Bagerhat’s tomato farmers, who were struggling with low demand and falling prices at the end of the winter season, have found relief as exports to Malaysia have begun. 

Many farmers had nearly stopped harvesting due to the lack of buyers and prices dropping below production costs. However, the launch of overseas exports has provided a much-needed boost, bringing new hope to the region’s agricultural sector.

This marks the first initiative to export tomatoes from Bagerhat abroad. So far, 66 metric tons of tomatoes have been directly purchased from local farmers and shipped to Malaysia through domestic buyers.

Talking to The Reporter 24, Bagerhat District Agriculture Officer Shankar Kumar Majumdar, on Tuesday,  confirmed that preparations are also underway to export other vegetables, including taro stems, pointed gourd, green bananas, and drumsticks. 

He noted that this development has renewed optimism among farmers, and efforts are ongoing to connect local growers with exporters.

This season, Bagerhat has produced approximately 77,000 metric tons of tomatoes across 2,210 hectares of land. Encouraged by the success of tomato exports, farmers are hopeful that other vegetables will soon follow.

Young entrepreneur and engineer Faisal Ahmed emphasized that vegetable exports would ensure fair prices for farmers. He also stressed the need for a cold storage facility in the region to preserve the perishable produce.

Bagerhat’s Deputy Commissioner, Ahmed Kamrul Hasan, highlighted that alongside aquaculture, the region practices large-scale integrated vegetable farming on the edges of fish enclosures. 

With growing interest from domestic buyers in exporting other vegetables, local farmers are seeing new economic opportunities. 

The initiatives are underway to establish cold storage facilities to support vegetable preservation and exports, he added.