Although Bangladesh produces more than 1.66 lakh tonnes of carrot each year, Chattogram port is seeing a steady rise in imports of the root vegetable as local traders are unable to meet the year-round demand.
Experts say this is because the country lacks adequate storage facilities, leading to post-harvest losses.
The surge has been most visible in fiscal year (FY) 2025-2026, with imports in just the first five months having already passed the total imports of the previous fiscal year.
According to data from the Plant Quarantine Station at Chattogram port, carrot imports amounted to 7,901 tonnes in FY24 and 8,730 tonnes in FY25, up 9.49 per cent year-on-year.
However, the upward curve is far sharper this year. In the first five months of FY26, carrot imports reached 9,801 tonnes, exceeding last year’s total even before the winter growing season began.
Dr Mohammad Shah Alam, deputy director of the Plant Quarantine Station, said carrot imports are highest in August, September and October, when local production is at its lowest.
Chattogram port has so far handled 1,430 tonnes of carrot in July, 2,245 tonnes in August, 2,522 tonnes in September, 1,964 tonnes in October, and 1,640 tonnes in November.
Import volumes typically fall below 10 tonnes per month between December and April, when locally grown carrots dominate the market, he added.
A review of recent trends suggests that an additional 3,000 tonnes of carrot may arrive in the remaining months of FY26, pushing the total import volume to around 12,800 tonnes.
Carrots mainly enter Bangladesh from China and India. Local carrots sell for Tk30-50 per kilogramme (kg) during the production season, but imported carrots command a significantly higher price of Tk100-200 per kg due to availability and import costs.
Traders say more than 80 per cent of the total carrot imports come through Chattogram port while the rest arrive via land ports. Overall annual imports currently stand at roughly 12,000 tonnes.
In FY23, importers spent more than Tk27 crore on carrot imports, while traders believe that figure has already crossed Tk30 crore taka in recent years.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) reports that Bangladesh produced around 166,000 tonnes of carrot in FY24 and 117,240 tonnes in FY25.
However, in absence of dedicated cold storages, farmers are forced to sell their produce quickly or succumb to significant post-harvest losses.
Md Mainul Haque, a horticulturist of the DAE, said carrots are primarily a winter crop, cultivated in regions such as Ishwardi, Manikganj, Munshiganj, and Bogura.
He noted that early (off-season) carrot cultivation is expanding, but once the main production season ends, the country relies heavily on imports to meet demand.
