A “Farmers’ Experience Exchange Visit” was held on August 17, 2025, at the research field of the Vegetable Division, Horticulture Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur-1701. The event was organized by the Vegetable Division under the “Development of Vegetable Breeding Technology in Asia Region (AFACI)” project with funding support.
Dr. Faruk Ahmed, Director of the Horticulture Research Centre, attended as Chief Guest, while Dr. A.K.M. Quamruzzaman, Head of the Vegetable Division and Chief Scientific Officer, presided over the program. The event was presented by the PSO of this division, Dr. Md. Mahabubar Rahman Selim. A total of 50 tomato-growing farmers from Gazipur participated actively in the exchange visit.
The AFACI project, implemented from November 2022 to October 2025, has already made significant progress. Under this initiative, 43 tomato germplasm lines were received from the World Vegetable Center (formerly AVRDC). Among them, two high-yielding varieties, BARI Tomato-22 and BARI Tomato-23, have been released and are gaining popularity among farmers for their strong performance.
Currently, six open-pollinated (OP) lines and twelve promising hybrid lines are under trial to identify improved year-round tomato varieties. Farmers are observing these lines and will provide feedback on yield, quality, and market potential, which will help guide future varietal releases.
The Chief Guest emphasized that improved tomato varieties will boost year-round production, nutrition, and farmer income, while Chairperson Dr. Quamruzzaman highlighted the importance of farmers’ experiences in shaping research.
The program concluded with a field demonstration and farmer feedback session.
