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Background
Absence of packaging service providers is one of the major constraints in the agricultural market in Bangladesh. Packaging has several benefits across different sub-sectors; hence it is treated as having cross sectoral impact over other sub-sectors like fruits, grains, flowers, vegetables, fisheries and also in livestock in different forms. But the packaging service market is barely operating for the packaging solutions of agro products except some in retail level. Post harvest losses in agro produced are huge in Bangladesh, as said; up to 40% of products get damaged or get their quality reduced due to absence of proper packaging. To address these constraints, GMark is carrying out its operation in 29 districts all over the country for developing the packaging service market for selected agro-sectors i.e. fish, vegetables, and fruits.
Intervention Areas
Improve Bamboo Made Packaging: In this intervention, an innovative idea is proceed among the Bamboo Basket Producers, Traders and Farmers to deduct the post harvest losses due to packaging. This idea is nothing but improving the existing bamboo basket in various features. These improved baskets will reduce the losses of farmers’ agro produces like vegetable, fish, fruit and flower from quality deterioration and wastage. Besides this, it also improves the business of Bamboo basket producers and trades and increases their daily income.
Plastic Made Packaging: In this intervention. Plastic Crate is introducing among the Agro traders and Farmers in replace of traditional packaging. This plastic Crate is very much useful packaging for transporting the agro products from local market to distance market as well as frame get to local market. It will stop hues wastage due to improper traditional packaging. This intervention brings more profit to the agro traders as well as farmers.
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1.
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Introducing plastic made packaging for fish/vegetables/fruits
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Promoting/Introducing improved bamboo basket for fish/vegetables/flower/fruits
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Raising awareness among traders and farmers to use improved package
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Expected Result
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After successfully maneuver the intervention Improve Bamboo Made Packaging within December-2012, a total 16652 farmers was benefited by raising their income. Besides, the bamboo basket traders and producers also got benefit from this intervention. At least 50 wholesalers are running Improve Bamboo Made Basket (IBB) business within the date.
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By the second intervention Plastic Made Packaging, the access outreaches were about 24843. These farmers now know the benefit of using plastic crate and at least 8943 farmers were benefited from there.
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Income increased : 48,500 Thousand farmers were benefited from the project (additional income of BDT 13,500 for a farmer in a season for 50 decimal of land)
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Income increased: 98 traders were benefits from the project (additional income of BDT 95,000)
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165 bamboo basket producers are capacitated through expert
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10 proto type are developed through project intervention
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1243 bamboo basket traders were capacitated through project activities
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Introduced plastic crate for vegetable and mango carrying and saved 15-30% wastage
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2 plastic crate companies (Bengal and Nilkomol) were capacitated
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Crates and baskets were available in the market
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Crowding in: 1 new input company started business in the locality to capture the market opportunity.
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Copying: Other farmers started using carte and basket by seeing the benefits of it.
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