The Department of Agricultural Marketing and Apon Bazaar have launched a new initiative to link farmers directly with industrial workers, delivering fresh fruits, vegetables and other perishables to factories in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Savar and Chattogram. This strategic move aims to improve worker nutrition while boosting farmers’ incomes through fair and efficient pricing and eliminating middlemen. At the launch event officials highlighted that factory workers often rely on low‑nutrient diets because of limited access and high costs, and that connecting them directly with farmers can improve health, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity. The initiative officially covers potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger and seasonal vegetables, and plans to add rice, pulses, eggs, fish and meat in future phases. Partners emphasised product traceability and food safety standards as core priorities, ensuring quality along the supply chain and protecting consumer health. Apon Bazaar will manage procurement, logistics, quality checks and last‑mile delivery using its retail network inside factory premises. The model builds on its existing fair‑price shops and digital platforms, which serve approximately two hundred thousand industrial workers with discounts on essential goods. Farmers gain access to stable demand and transparent payments, while workers enjoy lower prices and more nutritious options. Stakeholders say that this market linkage model aligns with the government’s vision of inclusive agriculture and worker welfare, and demonstrates how public‑private collaboration can address both economic and social goals. Early feedback from workers and farmers is positive, citing smoother delivery, improved freshness and fair payment practices. Experts point out that the initiative also supports national priorities around food security and sustainable agriculture, while reducing food loss and waste through better supply coordination. Logistics efficiency was bolstered through coordination across multiple industrial belts, with technical guidance from the agriculture ministry helping to streamline operations. Observers expect that as the model expands to include more products and factories, both farmers and laborers will benefit further from increased food access and economic stability. This approach could serve as a blueprint for future food distribution systems aimed at improving diets and livelihoods in industrial communities. Stakeholders believe scaling the initiative across Bangladesh’s garment and manufacturing workforce could transform worker nutrition, strengthen rural markets and uplift smallholder agriculture, all without political intervention or distortions. If this linkage succeeds at scale, it may set a new standard for how agricultural markets serve marginalized workers and rural producers in a mutually beneficial way.
