Deal signed on potato export to Russia
State-run Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Group, a private entity in Russia, for the export of potato to Russia, according to the agriculture ministry.
Under the deal, the BADC will supply potato grown by its contract growers to National Group for marketing in Russia, one of the biggest consumers of potato.
"The company has started process of buying potato from us," said BADC Member Director (Seed and Horticulture) Md Mostafizur Rahman after the MoU signing at InterContinental Dhaka.
BADC Chairman Abdullah Sazzad and National Group Chairman Abdus Sattar Mia signed the MoU, said a statement ministry.
Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque and Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter were present at the event among others.
Rahman said the BADC has grown potato in 30 zones, each comprised of 50 acres of land, through its contract growers.
And the BADC Alu-1 (Sunshine) and Diamant potato varieties are preferred by the Russian buyer, he said.
The development comes a year after Russia removed a ban on the tubers grown here in response to measures taken by the government to make potato free from harmful bacteria and safe for consumption.
Russia slapped the ban on Bangladesh's potato in 2014 detecting brown-rot disease.
Rahman expected that a good amount of potato would be exported next year as the harvests were over now.
At the event, Agriculture Minister Razzaque hoped that nearly 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes of potato would be exported next year.
Until January of the current fiscal year, Bangladesh exported 13,000 tonnes of potato, which was much lower than the nearly 79,000 tonnes shipped in the previous fiscal year, according to the agriculture ministry.
Agriculture ministry estimates potato output at 1.11 crore tonnes in the current fiscal year of 2022-23.
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