In our country, the fields are often a sea of green and gold, representing the hard work and dreams of millions of farmers. Agriculture is the heart of our economy, and when the harvest is good, there is a sense of joy in the air. However, this joy is often short-lived. A silent crisis exists behind the beautiful scenery of our rural heartlands. While we focus heavily on growing more food, we often forget one of the most important parts of the cycle: keeping that food safe after it is harvested. When crops fall like rain but are not stored properly, they lose their value just like gold turning into dust. From rice and wheat to perishable items like onions, tomatoes, and watermelons, billions of taka worth of products rot every single year before they can ever reach a kitchen. This massive loss is not just a financial blow to the farmers; it is a serious threat to the food security of the entire nation. Yet, for some reason, this crisis remains largely ignored in our major development plans.
The current state of crop storage in our country is deeply worrying. If we look at the numbers, the situation is quite alarming. Official statistics suggest that about fifteen to twenty percent of our total food production is lost every year due to poor handling and lack of storage. Think about the scale of this loss. It means that for every five bags of grain or vegetables produced, one bag is simply thrown away because it rotted or was damaged. By the time produce travels from a remote village to a district town or the capital city, a huge portion of it is already spoiled. This is a massive drain on our economy. It takes money directly out of the pockets of our hardworking farmers and causes the prices in the city markets to fluctuate wildly. When supply drops because of rot, the common people have to pay more. This crisis becomes even more painful during natural disasters like floods or heavy rains. Without proper warehouses, the crops that were meant to feed the nation for months are destroyed in just a few days of bad weather.
A recent survey highlighted a painful truth: about sixty-five percent of our farmers have no access to any proper storage facilities. Most of our farmers are small or marginal, meaning they don’t have much land or money. They work day and night to grow their crops, but they don’t have a cold room or a dry warehouse to keep them in. As a result, they are often forced to sell their harvest immediately, even if the market price is very low. They know that if they wait even a few days, their potatoes will sprout or their onions will turn soft and black. In many villages, you will see farmers using old, torn plastic sacks or bamboo baskets to store their grains. These methods offer no protection against moisture, heat, or pests. Rats and insects eat a large portion, and the damp air makes the rest moldy. On the other hand, the supply chain in big cities is also weak. Even after the crops reach the city, the lack of a proper cooling system means that fresh vegetables lose their nutritional value and freshness within hours.
One must wonder why this critical issue does not get the attention it deserves in our national development strategies. If you look at our agricultural policies over the last few decades, the focus has always been on production. We have done a great job of providing better seeds, fertilizers, and modern machinery to the farmers. We have taught them how to increase their yield per acre. But we have failed to plan for what happens after the crop is cut. We are filling a bucket with water while it has a big hole at the bottom. No matter how much we produce, if we cannot save it, the development remains incomplete. The entire agricultural plan becomes weak if the storage and transport sectors are left behind. It is a simple logic: if you grow ten tons but lose two tons to rot, you haven’t really improved as much as you think.
One of the biggest reasons for this storage crisis is the lack of infrastructure. In many parts of the country, there simply aren’t any modern warehouses. Even in places where there are government godowns, they are often poorly maintained. Issues with land, temperature control, and humidity management are very common. Moreover, these facilities are often located far away from the actual farms, making it expensive for a poor farmer to transport his goods there. Small farmers also lack the education needed to understand the science of storage. Many do not realize how vital it is to control the air and moisture around their grains. They follow traditional methods because that is all they know. Without proper guidance from agricultural officers and without affordable local storage options, they remain stuck in a cycle of loss.
Market pressure also plays a huge role in this mess. In our country, the market is often controlled by middlemen who want to buy products at the lowest possible price. Because the farmers have no way to store their crops, they have no bargaining power. They have to sell right away to get whatever cash they can. This rush to sell often leads to poor handling. To save time and money, crops are packed tightly into trucks without proper ventilation. By the time the truck reaches its destination, the heat generated inside the pile of vegetables has already started the rotting process. This is a tragedy that happens every single day. We are essentially growing food just to let it rot on the side of the road or in a damp corner of a marketplace.
The solution to this problem is not impossible, but it requires a change in mindset. First and foremost, we need to build local, modern storage centers. We don’t need giant warehouses in just the big cities; we need small, solar-powered cold storages and dry warehouses in every union or village cluster. These facilities must be affordable so that even a farmer with just one acre of land can use them. If a farmer knows he can store his onions for three months safely, he won’t be forced to sell them for a tiny profit during the harvest season. Second, we must invest in training. Our farmers are brilliant at growing things, but they need to be taught modern packaging and preservation techniques. Simple things like using the right kind of crates instead of sacks can make a big difference.
Furthermore, we need to create a stronger connection between local agricultural offices, private companies, and farmer cooperatives. If these groups work together, they can create a smooth chain where food is collected, stored, and transported under the right conditions. This would not only reduce waste but also ensure that farmers get a fair price for their work. When the waste goes down, the supply in the market stays steady, which keeps the prices fair for the consumers as well. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
In the end, we must realize that crop storage is not just a technical or economic issue; it is a matter of national survival. Food security is the foundation of a stable country. If we cannot protect the food we grow, we are failing our citizens. Our policymakers need to stop looking only at the production numbers and start looking at the waste. We need a balanced plan where storage is given as much importance as seeds and fertilizer. The hard work of the farmer, the richness of our soil, and the beauty of our green fields deserve to be respected. We cannot allow our “golden crops” to be wasted because of a lack of a simple warehouse or a cooling fan.
The true symbol of development is not just a high harvest count; it is when that harvest safely reaches the plates of the people. If we ignore the storage crisis, our agricultural growth will always be fragile. It is time to bring the storage issue into the heart of our national planning. Let the golden security of proper storage be added to the red and green of our fields. Only then can we truly say that we are a food-secure nation. Our farmers deserve to see the full fruit of their labor, and our people deserve to have access to fresh, safe, and affordable food all year round.
