Agricultural Supply chain Management in the Chittagong Hill tracts: A research paper on the areas that need development

Abstract

The main problem here lies in the transportation of crops from the hilly areas to other cities or villages. Khagrachari, Rangamati, Bandarban have been a great place for tourists, the climate out there is perfect for growing crops like banana, pears, lychees and several spices. A few of the most uncommon crops are also found here, for example “roktogolla” which, if transported to Dhaka can be a great source of income for a lot of villagers as well as the sellers in this city. A lot of spices are grown here naturally. These places are a goldmine for crop production but unfortunately due to underdeveloped roads, improper transportation and preservation methods, these haven’t been adding much value to the economy of the country. I have lived in Chittagong Cantonment and went to the hill tracts several times in my life. In my last visit, I have found out that nothing significant has changed and the risky hilly roads along with improper transportation are playing a major negative role in the overall supply chain management of crops in these areas. To overcome these barriers, roads need to be improved at first. Hilly roads are risky, even for visitors and not that many steps have been taken by the government.

 Again Chittagong Hill Tracts connect Bangladesh with Myanmar, in turn connecting us to South-East Asia. Exporting these crops would be beneficial for the farmers as well, considering the regions proximity to Chittagong port. Moreover these crops can be sold to several resorts in large amounts as well primarily for the tourists. While transporting the crops from Chittagong to other Cities, trains can be used as well instead of trucks since the train is more economy friendly and it reaches the destination in a fixed time since it runs at a constant speed. Moreover in places where necessary we’ll use waterway transport forms such as boats and ferries if required.

 While transporting, better preservation methods should be used so that the crops don’t get harmed. And to conclude, specific routes should be set up for the vehicles so that risk of accidents gets minimized. Of course our primary focus would be on Chittagong and Cox's bazar as these are major markets. The primary goal is to firstly help wean off the dependency on imported fruits, followed by targeting the export market. Already crops such as Cashew Nuts being prepared for large scale export in the region, that too in the premium export segment.