Postharvest handling – food processing – market development

The USAID Horticulture Project held a 2-day training course for seven groups on “Improved Postharvest Handling, Food Processing and Market Development” in Faridpur, Bangladesh from 22 March – 9 April 2015. A total of 150 smallholder farmers and processors, including 83 women, discussed nutrition, gender, postharvest handling, food processing, and how to form marketing groups. About 80% of the program time involved participants in practical, hands-on activities. After the course, each participant received a booklet and 10 glass bottles to practice what they learned at home. The International Potato Center (CIP) and AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center are partners in the project.

Mohammed Razu Ahmed, AVRDC Acting Sector Leader – Vegetables and Talukder Humayun Kabir, specialist in food processing and proprietor of South Asian Agro Products, led the training program with the assistance of Field Coordinator Mustafizur Rahman, AVRDC Assistant Field Coordinator Samir Roy, and Ms. Shakilaand and Shahadat Hossain from the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).

DAM Director Md. Mahbub Ahmed and Project Director Shahnaz Neena attended the closing program on 9 April and congratulated the coordinating team and the participants for completing the successful training sessions. A stakeholders’ meeting was arranged during the closing program; trained farmers, processors and four representatives of local supermarkets and shopping malls attended to discuss potential market development. Follow-up visits and evaluations will start in May.