The near‑completion of a modern cold storage facility in Bandarban is undeniably good news. Farmers lose large portions of their seasonal fruits and vegetables every year due to inadequate storage in our country. To combat this loss, cold storage facilities are nothing if not a lifeline.
However, there is a truth we cannot deny: Bangladesh needs many more such facilities, and it needs them fast.
Bangladesh’s farmers have long been forced into distress sales, watching their produce spoil before reaching the market. A 50‑metric‑ton cold storage, now 95% complete, will certainly go a long way to help preserve their harvest and potentially reduce post‑harvest losses, protect incomes, and give growers the confidence to expand cultivation.
For a district with enormous untapped potential, this could be transformative for its farmers.
However, the fact is that Bangladesh’s agricultural infrastructure remains very uneven. In too many districts, farmers still rely on makeshift sheds, improvised cooling, or no storage at all. As a result, bumper harvests often turn into financial disappointment.
We may speak of boosting exports, diversifying crops, and strengthening food security, but without modern storage facilities, these ambitions remain fragile.
The Bandarban facility should therefore be seen as the beginning of a nationwide push to modernize post‑harvest infrastructure.
Every major producing district needs cold storage that matches its output. Farmers deserve to have access to reliable preservation so they are not forced to sell at throwaway prices every year.
For a robust future where we can tackle growing threats of food security, it is simply not enough to depend on what our farmers can grow. We must be able to preserve our harvest.
