The three-day National Vegetable Fair-2018 begins on Sunday at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in the city with a view to ensuring safe vegetable production, sound health and nutrition for consumers, reports BSS.

Ministry of Agriculture will organise the fair with the theme 'Sara Bachhar Sabji Chashe, Pushti-Swasthya Artho Ashe (Cultivation of vegetables round the year brings nutrition, sound health and money).

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages on the eve of the fair and wished overall success of the fair.

In his message, the President said vegetables contain different necessary vitamins and mineral salt to keep the health and mind sound. 

Bangladesh, he said, is now self-reliant in vegetables and food grains production because of the government's time befitting steps and efforts of all concerned. 

Vegetables are also being exported abroad meeting the demand of the country, he added.

The President called for taking up initiatives for increasing exports and expanding market of vegetables further. Besides, it is very much urgent to be cautious while using pesticides, he added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said Bangladesh attained the third position in vegetable production in the world. 

She said the fertile land and weather of Bangladesh are very favorable for vegetable cultivation. 

The farmers are cultivating vegetables round the year in short time with poor money and developing their living standard and contributing to the national economy, she added.

The prime minister said the government has undertaken various programmes in the last nine years for overall development of the agriculture sector. 

"We have taken agriculture friendly policy to make the sector commercially viable. We have reduced the price of all agri-inputs including fertilizers and seeds," she added.

The farmers, Sheikh Hasina said, are now getting soft loans and financial assistance.

She expressed her optimism that her government would be able to build a hunger and poverty free and meritorious nation with the efforts of all.