Vegetable exports quadruple amid stable local market
Veggie exports through maritime routes totalled 58,766 tonnes in FY25

Bangladesh's vegetable exports have surged over threefold in the just concluded 2024–25 fiscal year, driven by a stable domestic market after years of volatility and price hikes that had discouraged exporters.
Data from the Plant Quarantine Centre at Chattogram Seaport shows that vegetable exports through maritime routes totalled 58,766 tonnes in FY25, marking a 313% year-on-year growth.
Potatoes accounted for the bulk of exports, with 40,543 tonnes shipped, followed by 16,959 tonnes of fresh vegetables and 1,264 tonnes of frozen items.
In contrast, just 14,202 tonnes of vegetables were exported in FY24. Of that, 11,127 tonnes were potatoes, 1,669 tonnes were fresh produce, and 1,406 tonnes were frozen vegetables.
The previous year, FY23, saw 33,923 tonnes of exports, with potatoes again dominating at 29,560 tonnes. In FY22, the volume had reached 60,634 tonnes, led by 53,024 tonnes of potatoes.
The export rebound comes after years of disruption due to natural disasters, high domestic prices, and escalating freight costs. Exporters had gradually withdrawn from the market, unable to compete with the rising costs and domestic instability.
Officials said the current boost is due to improved price stability in the local market under the interim government, which intensified market monitoring and curbed volatility across essential commodities.
"The volume of potato exports has increased significantly this year," Mohammad Shah Alam, deputy director at the Plant Quarantine Centre, told The Business Standard.
"With the market normal this year, even land ports like Banglabandha saw the export of 20,000 tonnes of potatoes to Nepal – a destination India used to dominate," he said.
Alam added that the ministry had intervened to manage transportation costs, while test shipments of new items like taro and cabbage proved successful. "Cabbage exports rose sharply this year. Fresh vegetables, usually exported by air, are now also being successfully shipped via refrigerated sea containers."
According to officials, Bangladesh exports vegetables primarily to Malaysia, the UAE, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern nations. Expatriate Bangladeshis and South Asian restaurants are the main buyers.
Among vegetables exported, potatoes lead the chart, followed by cabbage. Other notable exports include sweet pumpkin, green chilli, cauliflower, tomato, taro, beans, spine gourd, pointed gourd, and arum.
Fresh vegetables are often frozen and shipped to Europe and Africa using regular containers. Export-quality vegetables are sourced from across the country, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Jessore, Rajshahi, Chuadanga, Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Meherpur, and Narsingdi.
Mahbub Rana, president of the Chattogram Fresh Fruits, Vegetables and Products Exporters' Group, told TBS that local market instability in recent years had made exports unviable.
"The high price of potatoes and volatile vegetable prices deterred exporters. With those issues resolved, exports have picked up again," he added.
However, he noted that challenges remain. "We can't fully utilise our export potential due to limited air cargo space. Transporting vegetables to Europe or North America costs Tk650–700 per kg from Bangladesh, while India manages it for Tk300 or less."
He added, "Besides, subsidies are shrinking and expected to be phased out by 2026. If the government prioritises this sector, vegetable exports could grow several times over."