Farm Produce: E-commerce can cut middlemen out

Farmers are true entrepreneurs as progress of future economy of our country depend in their hands.

According to the statistics, currently there are more than 78 lakh (7.8 million) small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh, who contribute about 25 percent to the country's GDP.

The government is trying to increase the contribution of the SMEs to 32 percent by 2024.

When the spread of coronavirus turned the world economy upside down, E-commerce sector thrived across the world at the same time.

But, even after the COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping has become a part of their daily life to many people.

Compared to the previous times, online shopping has increased by 70 to 80 percent in Bangladesh during the pandemic period.

In 2008, Moyez, a farmer from Pabna 's Ishwardi, phoned me and said he has some cows, raised in organic method.

He then asked me whether I would like to buy any of those cows for the Eid-ul-Azha?

"How can I buy without seeing the cow," I replied.

"It doesn't matter. Please give me your email ID, I will send you some photos of the cow," Moyez said.

After a few minutes, I opened my email and found some pictures of the cow with specifications in detail.

I was completely surprised because no one taught Moyez how to do that, rather he did that using his creative mind.

The online livestock markets were quite crowded ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha this year, while mangoes are also being sold online.

In 2017, I asked Li, a dragon fruit orchard owner at a remote village in China's Xinxing County, where do you sell so many dragon fruits?

He said he post the quantity and price of the fruit, produced in his orchard, in their Wechat group.

The global market of agricultural products will be worth USD 4 trillion by 2024, while our current achievement is only USD 500 million.

Markets for diversified agricultural products are gradually growing, but there is risk of fraudulence in such a competitive market.

Proper planning and monitoring are required from the beginning so that a farmer does not get cheated and take U-turn from this potential sector. We will have to think about a platform, where every entrepreneur can appear as an idol with their own brand.

The government is providing support to the young entrepreneurs through various initiatives like startup loans and implementing innovative ideas.   If the government also takes initiative in creating an international online market for farmers, our young farmers would be more enterprising.