Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Policy 2020 was passed on December 21, 2020, for safe food production, improvement of farmers' living standards and boosting foreign exchange earning.
After this policy was passed, the Ministry of Agriculture adopted a 5-year action plan for 2020 to 2025.
In order to implement this action plan, initiatives were taken to implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) at the field level through the largest PARTNER project funded by the World Bank, said officials.
Farmers have been trained to implement GAP, as well as test the soil and water to determine if it they are suitable to produce select fruits and vegetables. Then in case of mango, jackfruit and other fruits pruning is done or excess stems are trimmed. The orchards and crop fields are weeded.
In the case of fruits and vegetables, the quantity of fertilisers including TSP, potash, gypsum, zinc and magnesium where required as determined by the Upazila Agriculture Officer are mixed and applied.
So that it is possible to produce quality fruits and vegetables.
After weeding, prescribed amount of pesticides are mixed and sprayed several times, so that the buds of mango, jackfruit and other fruits are not damaged and to free them from insects and diseases.
In the process, the farmer will record in a register when to prune, use water, apply fertilisers and pesticides and weed, which will be signed by the Upazila Agriculture Officer in the registrar after inspection.
Production of healthy and clean fruits and vegetables is the main goal of GAP.
After production, farmers will store fruits and vegetables and hand them over to exporters.
This will benefit farmers financially and their situation will improve.
It is designed to open new doors of foreign currency earning.
To implement GAP, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) coordinates researches of the research institutes of the National Agricultural Research System as the project owner and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) implements the research results at the field level.
BARC as team owner of mangoes, jackfruits, pear, pineapple and zara lemon, gourd, barbatti, green papaya, eggplant, pointed gourd, kachur lati, bitter gourd, cabbage, snake gourd and potato. Field level validation is done by developing protocols for these crops.
Later, these 15 crop protocols will be handed over by BARC through DAE for implementation at field level. DAE will bring three lakh hectares of land under cultivation using GAP in next three years.
As a result, the country's needs will be met through safe food production, as well as open the door for exports and improve farmers' standard of living.
The GAP validation trial was implemented on June 27, 2024 in the mango orchard of Rafiqul Islam, a farmer of Kendubona village in Nachol Upazila of Chapainawabganj. At that time, 18 diplomats observed in the presence of ministers as well as secretaries of ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs.
Senior scientist Abdus Salam told the Daily Observer that the government has taken appropriate initiatives to implement the GAP. Replying to a question, he said, in the next three years, a plan has been adopted to implement GAP on 3 lakh hectares of land across the country. The work of this project has begun and we expect to implement GAP on the schedule.
