Govt to build agro economic zones in the northern region

Panchayet Habib

In Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and other areas of the northern region, food shortage and lack of work once appeared in the months of Ashwin and Kartik. The northern region was called a Monga area mainly because of the bad condition in those months. But that situation is changing because of the development of the rural economy and communication system.

People can now plant the next crop at the right time, in the month of November. Monga has gone for good. Monga has vanished. Nobody sits idle any more. Because of farm technology and the development of agriculture, Monga can no longer touch the people of the Tista chars. It is like freedom from a curse. Various steps taken by the present government to improve the lives of char people have brought their social and economic development.

Awareness has grown among char people because of agricultural development. Solar lights now burn in the chars. Char people also watch television using solar power. The present government has developed the chars. This region is now self sufficient in food grain production. People of the northern region have been freed from the stain of the name Monga.

The government has taken steps to link northern agriculture with export oriented industry, instead of limiting it to food production. For this, the government has planned to set up agro economic zones in more than one place in the northern region, step by step. Jaipurhat and Bogura districts have come up as promising places in the first stage.

It has been decided to check the feasibility of setting up an agro economic zone in Tarapani mouza of Bara Tara union in Khetlal upazila of Jaipurhat and in Taraura municipality of Dupchanchia upazila in Bogura. It is learned that Invest Bangladesh has already started the feasibility check.

This step has been taken as part of the specific action plan of the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out the election manifesto of the BNP led government of Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman. The plan is to build an integrated infrastructure for the production, collection, storage, processing, packaging and export of farm products to the international market. People concerned believe that if the plan is carried out, new economic chances will be created in northern agriculture.

Farmers may get a fair price for their products. Industries may be set up at the local level, and investment and large scale jobs may grow. These decisions were taken at a review meeting held recently in the conference room of the Ministry of Agriculture at the Secretariat, chaired by Secretary Mr. Md. Selim Khan. Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and various other offices took part.

Participants at the meeting said it is more effective to form an “agro economic zone” than to set up an agro processing zone. This information comes from the working paper of the Ministry of Agriculture meeting. After the information is received, the feasibility check will start there quickly. Agro economic zones may be built in more than one district of the northern region, step by step.

Land related information was sought from various districts of the northern region, including Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Panchagarh and Rajshahi.

Bogura and Jaipurhat are important. Jaipurhat and Bogura hold a very important place in the agricultural economy of the northern region. Because of farm production, farm based business and communication, the step to build agro economic zones centred on these two districts carries special meaning. Jaipurhat has long been known as a farming district. A large part of its economy depends on farming.

Farmers of the district contribute to the national farm economy by producing rice, potato, maize, mustard, vegetables and various seasonal crops. Along with farm production, if the chance for storing and marketing these products can be widened, the local farm economy can gain more speed. Especially around potato and other farm products, there is a chance to build modern storage, sorting and quality control centres, packaging factories and food processing industries.

If an agro economic zone is set up, it will be possible to create these facilities near the production site. This will give more chance to market farmers’ products quickly, reduce waste and ensure product quality according to the demand of local and foreign buyers.

Tarapani mouza in Bara Tara union of Khetlal upazila in Jaipurhat has been considered a promising place at first. The district administration has sent information about the proposed land according to the checklist set by Invest Bangladesh. So the meeting decided to take steps for a quick feasibility check there to set up an agro economic zone.

On the other hand, Bogura is one of the important farm and business centres of the northern region. The district’s farm production, market system, business activity and communication facilities have built an important base for farm based industry. Along with producing rice, potato, maize, vegetables, fruits and roots, Bogura also has a role in collecting and marketing farm products.

Another important side of Bogura’s agriculture is the chance to link agriculture with business and industry. If farm products can be processed and marketed after production, there will be local demand for raw materials. At the same time, new economic activity may open up for farmers, entrepreneurs, businessmen, transport workers and factory workers.

In this case, Taraura municipality in Dupchanchia upazila of Bogura is being considered as a possible place. But the district administration has been asked to send the needed information about this place according to the checklist set by Invest Bangladesh. The meeting decided that after the information is received, a step for a feasibility check will be taken.

All farm work under one roof, from production to export. The main goal of an agro economic zone is not just to set up factories on land. It is to link agriculture with industry, technology, investment and international trade. At present, farmers produce various farm products, but in many cases the chance for modern storage, processing, quality control and entry into the international market is limited. If an agro economic zone is set up, there may be a chance to overcome these limits.

Plans can be made here to build infrastructure for collecting and sorting farm products, modern cold storage, food processing factories, packaging, laboratories, quality control and export related facilities. This will make it possible to add more value by processing farmers’ products instead of selling them raw. For example, there may be a chance to make various food products from potato, juice and pulp from fruit, frozen and processed food from vegetables, and export quality food items from various farm products.

Such industries must collect raw materials regularly from local farmers. So a direct business relationship may grow between farmers and industrial institutions. Contract farming, supply of quality seeds and farm inputs, and use of modern production technology may also be encouraged. But to make these chances real, we must give importance to protecting farmers’ interests, ensuring fair prices and building an environment friendly industrial system.

Decision to set up economic zones, not EPZs. The meeting gave importance to setting up agro economic zones instead of export processing zones (EPZ). Agriculture Secretary Mr. Md. Selim Khan said at the meeting that it is more sensible to set up economic zones, because an agro export processing zone requires 90 percent of products to be exported. He said the ministry is working to carry out the directive given by the Prime Minister. The members present at the meeting agreed with this view.

Because of this decision, the proposed zones will be able to meet the demand of the domestic market as well as export, instead of producing only for export.

At the meeting, Invest Bangladesh member (additional secretary) Mr. Saleh Ahmed said that before the final choice of place, the feasibility of the proposed lands must be checked based on the list of lands received. He said institutions such as the Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Company (IIFC) or the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) can complete the feasibility check on a single source basis.

He said that after getting the feasibility report, a project proposal or DPP can be prepared and the next steps can be taken to set up the agro economic zone.

Panchagarh and other districts also under consideration. The plan to set up agro economic zones will not be limited to Jaipurhat and Bogura. The meeting decided unanimously to build such zones in more than one suitable place in the northern region, step by step. For this, land related information was sought from various districts of the northern region, including Jaipurhat, Bogura, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Panchagarh and Rajshahi.

In response, information has been received from some districts according to the checklist set by Invest Bangladesh. In Panchagarh district, there is 217.78 acres of non farm khas land already allotted to the then Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), now Invest Bangladesh. It was decided to seek the written consent of Invest Bangladesh on whether an agro economic zone can be set up on that land.

So, besides the possible places in Jaipurhat and Bogura, the land in Panchagarh is also being kept under consideration at first. In future, suitable places in other districts of the northern region may also come under this plan.

Feasibility check is the big test before carrying it out. The most important task now to make the plan for agro economic zones real is to check the feasibility of the proposed places. The check must consider the amount and ownership of land, communication, availability of power and gas, water supply, waste management, farm product supply, market location and investment chances.

Research is also needed on which kind of farm based industry will be most profitable in which place. It is important to plan industry after analysing the type of farm products of Jaipurhat and Bogura, the amount of production, seasonal supply and possible export markets.

On this, Agriculture Minister Mr. Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said the northern region is one of the most important regions of Bangladesh’s farm economy. He said farmers of this region keep making an important contribution to the country’s food production and farm economy. He said, “But our goal now is not just to raise the production of farm products. It is to add proper value to the products, bring modern processing and widen the chance to export to the international market.” He said with this goal in view, steps have been taken to set up more than one agro economic zone in the northern region.