Farmers at Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, are steadily shifting to high-value foreign vegetable varieties, transforming traditional fields into hubs for pesticide-free, exotic produce as rising urban demand reshapes cultivation patterns.
In villages such as South Meitka, a wide range of vegetables introduced fairly recently among which are broccoli, red cabbage, lettuce, capsicum, zucchini squash, Thai ginger, cherry tomato, parsley, celery, baby corn, sweet corn, leek, curry leaf, Nira leaves, fennel and beetroot are now widely cultivated and sold.
The shift has been driven by changing consumer preferences in cities like Dhaka, where restaurants, supermarkets and health-conscious households are seeking fresh, chemical-free vegetables for salad and light dishes.
Dishes featuring these vegetables—from Thai ginger stir-fries, soups and mashed items to zucchini-broccoli vegetables and raw salad with lettuce, red cabbage, cherry tomato and parsley—are becoming increasingly common in urban households, restaurants and salad bars.
‘Most restaurants and luxury hotels now serve these vegetables to attract consumers,’ said Mofasser Rahman, assistant professor of agribusiness and marketing at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in Dhaka.
‘Urban consumers are more health-conscious and prefer quick, colourful dishes that keep vegetables crisp and nutritious. These crops fit perfectly with modern cooking styles like stir-fry or light salads,’ he added.
Local entrepreneur Kobbad Hossain Ovi has played a key role in popularising foreign vegetables cultivation at Savar, starting about two decades ago with his cultivation of the crops in a small plot that gradually expanded into a large-scale operation now.
His company, Bangla Agro Product, now manages more than 200 bighas of farmland, producing vegetables worth up to Tk 1.5 crore annually and employing around 100 workers, he said.
‘Our vegetables are completely chemical-free and highly sought after in urban markets,’ Ovi said, adding that his produce was supplied directly to retail outlets, restaurants and hotels in Dhaka city, as well as to other cities, including Chattogram and Khulna.
Growers say such direct links between farms and urban buyers have reduced reliance on intermediaries and boosted rural incomes.
South Meitka gained recognition as a ‘Safe Vegetable Village’ in 2021 for its pesticide-free farming practices, further encouraging expansion of foreign vegetables cultivation in the area.
Farmers have also adopted contract farming models, allowing smallholders to grow crops such as zucchini and broccoli under guaranteed buy-back arrangements, reducing market risks.
Among the most profitable crops is zucchini squash, which matures quickly and yields significantly higher returns than many traditional vegetables.
According to agricultural officials, the crop can be harvested within just over two weeks and produce up to 45 tonnes per hectare under favourable conditions.
‘Zucchini is well-suited to our climate and has both local and export demand,’ said Shakila Akhter, a scientific officer at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute.
The expansion of foreign vegetables farming in Savar mirrors a broader nationwide trend, with agricultural authorities identifying hundreds of localities as emerging production centres for such crops.
Officials say the shift is helping diversify farm incomes and could attract educated young people into agriculture.
‘High-value vegetables farming can often generate profits more than double the profit from traditional crops,’ said Swadesh Kumar Paul, chief agronomist at the Department of Agricultural Extension.
Despite its promise, the sector faces several challenges.
Farmers cite limited access to modern infrastructure such as greenhouses, polyshade houses and cold storage facilities as barriers to scaling up production and exports.
Exporters also point to high freight costs, limited cargo space and inadequate airport handling facilities as constraints on international competitiveness.
‘Demand is rising steadily for chemical-free and specialty vegetables like broccoli, zucchini and lettuce,’ said Mohammad Monsur, a member of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry standing committee on fruit and vegetable trade.
