Hortex IN BRIEF
Incorporation & Purposes
Thereof
Horticulture Export Development
Foundation, in short, “Hortex
Foundation” hereinafter
referred to as the Foundation, was
established in 1993 at the patronage
of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Government of the People’s
Republic of Bangladesh. It is
registered as a Company Limited by
Guarantee under the Companies Act,
1913 and licensed under Section 26
of the Companies Act, 1913 having
registration no. C-323 (11)/93. The
Foundation is a “Not for
Profit” organization within
the meaning of the Section 26 of the
Act, organized and set up for the
development, promotion and marketing
of exportable
horticultural/agricultural produces
for generation of income and
employment of the farmers.
Management of the Foundation
Hortex Foundation has one General
Body and one Governing Body. The
General Body consists of minimum 35
members including the Secretary,
Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) as the
Chairman and the Vice Chairman,
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) as a
member and the remaining members
having business/involvement in
fresh/frozen/processing of
horticultural crops (fruits,
vegetables, ornamental plants,
flowers, spices, herbs etc),
livestock and fisheries
representing Non-Government
Organization/Company/Association/Chamber/Society/Agriculture
Educational Institution are elected
by the Governing Body. Secretary,
Ministry of Agriculture as the
ex-officio Chairman of the
Foundation is the Chairman of the
General Body as well as the
Governing Body, while the Vice
Chairman, Export Promotion Bureau
(EPB) is the ex-officio member
of the General Body and ex-officio
Director of the Governing Body. The
Governing Body gives overall policy
guidance and direction for the
efficient functioning of the
Foundation.
The Governing Body comprises seven
Directors elected from among the
members of the General Body,
representing two from the public
sector as above and others from
private sector organizations
including NGO are elected by the
General Body. The Governing Body
being accountable to the General
Body generally pursues and carries
out the objects of the Foundation as
set forth in the Memorandum of
Association and is responsible for
the management and administration of
the affairs of the Foundation in
accordance with the Articles of
Association and the Rules and
bye-laws made there under.
Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture
by virtue of being the ex-officio
Chairman of Hortex Foundation,
presides over all the meetings of
the General Body and the Governing
Body. The Managing Director is the
Chief Executive Officer of the
Foundation. He is responsible for
the day-to-day management of the
Foundation under the supervision and
guidance of the Governing Body.
Goals and
Objectives of the
Foundation
Goals
Development and promotion of
agribusiness with high value
agro-products for export through
technological and advisory support
in order to boost national economy
and farmers’ income.
Objectives
The objectives for which the
Foundation is established are any or
all of the following:
-
Promotion and development of high
value fresh and processed
agricultural products;
-
Promotion of contract farming
techniques for enhancing
agricultural productions;
-
Providing market intelligence
support to producers and
exporters;
-
Ensuring technological, training
and advisory support to boost
agro-production and its export;
-
Development of sustainable
agribusiness with high value
agro-products;
-
Development of Small and Medium
Enterprise (SME) and support
private entrepreneurs for
promotion of agribusiness;
-
Familiarization of appropriate
post harvest management practices
among farmers and entrepreneurs;
-
Development of efficient supply,
packaging, cool chain and value
chain management;
-
Ensuring sanitary and
phyto-sanitary standards for
better environmental management;
-
Introduction of traceability for
exportable produces;
-
Sustainability of commercial
agri-business through research and
development linkages;
-
Promotion of local and
international agri-market for
generation of employment and
farmers income linking farmers,
traders, exporters etc;
-
Alleviation of poverty through
agribusiness and export promotion;
-
Dissemination of information
relating to agribusiness.
Key Activities
Pursuant to the above objectives,
the key activities of the Foundation
may be as follow:
-
assist and promote agribusiness
specially horticultural products
and to develop and facilitate
export opportunities;
-
sponsor, promote, and provide in
various forms and manners,
assistance including financial,
institutional, advisory and
training to farming groups engaged
in agri-business in
Bangladesh for production,
marketing, export and development
of all kinds of agricultural
products;
-
plan, develop and coordinate
projects/ schemes aimed at
assisting all round development
and marketing of exportable
agricultural produces and thereby
help income generation;
-
help institution-building and
enhance the existing institutional
capacity of the partner
organizations for generating
income and facilitating
agribusiness in Bangladesh;
-
make Hortex a self-sustaining
organization, develop and build
its institutional capability;
-
promote and stimulate innovative
ideas and methods for the
development and marketing of
exportable agricultural
produces;
-
encourage, promote and assist
efforts in realization of the
objectives of the Foundation with
focus on injecting new ideas and
technologies;
-
provide relevant information,
advice and facilitate exchanging
experiences of the partner
organizations;
-
initiate, undertake and promote
research, including market
research activities and cooperate
with public and private
organizations;
-
organize seminars, workshops,
conferences, etc.;
-
undertake publication of reports,
periodicals, monographs,
bulletins, journals and books
etc.;
-
establish in any place in the
country such offices, agencies and
local units as may be necessary
for managing any of the affairs of
the Foundation;
-
run commercially or otherwise
training schools, colleges,
centers and other institutions for
educating and developing expertise
and experience of people engaged
in agribusiness;
-
invest and deal with all money of
the Foundation, including those
not immediately required, in such
manner as may be determined by the
Governing Body of the Foundation
from time to time;
-
establish and maintain contact,
collaborate and contract with
other organizations, institutions,
bodies and societies in Bangladesh
and abroad for furtherance of the
objectives of the Foundation;
-
obtain membership and pay fees for
the membership of any national or
international bodies,
institutions, organizations and
subscribe to their publications,
if any, for furtherance of the
objectives of the Foundation;
-
take all such steps as may be
necessary or expedient for
enabling the Foundation to carry
on with its functions properly;
-
undertake, sponsor, support or aid
any educational, social,
commercial, agricultural or
industrial activities for
attaining the objectives of the
Foundation;
-
use all income of the Foundation
for advancement of its objectives;
-
arrange suitable remuneration/fee
approved by the Governing Body of
the Foundation for any person,
firm, association, organization or
institution and consultant for
services rendered or to be
rendered to the Foundation;
-
purchase, acquire, take on lease
or allotment or hire or otherwise
acquire land, building, erect or
adapt any other movable or
immovable properties for the time
being and to sell, let out or hire
all or any portion of the same as
may be thought desirable for
development and sustainability of
agribusiness and agricultural
products;
-
enter into any agreement with
international agencies,
foreign governments and GOB
or any other authority, local,
municipal or otherwise, public or
quasi-public bodies that may seem
conducive to the objectives of the
Foundation;
-
recruit, appoint, take on lien,
deputation, on contract any
employees, or enter into any
agreement with consultants,
experts and organizations for the
Foundation and its programs and
projects or enter into any other
agreement in this regard or to
discontinue or terminate their
services as deemed fit and proper
by the Foundation;
-
do all such other lawful things as
are conducive or incidental to the
attainment of the objectives and
furthering the growth of the
Foundation;
-
assist, direct, prescribe and
guide in production including
research, processing and marketing
(local and international) of
agribusiness products including
horticulture, crops, sericulture,
poultry, livestock, fisheries,
forest products, agri-input etc;
-
assist and undertake or help to
undertake necessary storage,
sorting laboratory, factory for
agricultural products and
commodities and also engage
directly or indirectly in
transportation of agribusiness
products;
-
conduct feasibility study, market
study, survey, baseline survey,
and analysis of market information
from published or primary sources
in relation to agribusiness
development and products;
-
conduct micro credit operations
relating to agribusiness including
borrowing funds from inside or
outside Bangladesh, extending
credit, receiving and paying
interest, charges and similar
other elements, writing off
loans/credit and creating reserve
funds both specific and general,
accepting securities, and
disposal, if any, of securities
and recovery of credits subject to
approval of competent
agency/authority;
-
set up or establish specialized
banks for operating in agriculture
and agribusiness development in
Bangladesh subject to approval of
competent agency/authority;
-
assist entrepreneurs or
prospective entrepreneurs engaged
and to be engaged in agribusiness
in financial management, receiving
fund/loan/credit from Banks or
financial institutions, managing
funds efficiently, cost control,
quality control etc for boosting
production, marketing and exports
for achieving international
standards;
-
establish joint venture or any
enterprise with any
national/international
entrepreneurs for development and
boosting agricultural exports in
Bangladesh, subject to approval of
the competent authority;
-
establish, promote, manage, assist
to establish and set up printing,
processing and packaging industry,
factory or any other manufacturing
or processing unit with all
facilities related to packaging of
agricultural and horticultural
products;
-
establish facilities such as, pack
house, general and specialized
storage, grading centre,
pre-cooling and cooling
facilities, packaging factory,
workshops, etc. subject to
approval of the competent
authority;
-
set up, manage and assist to
promote quality assurance
laboratory, testing facilities and
monitoring compliance for the
international quality standards
and provide/issue quality
assurance certificate, report and
opinion;
-
purchase, hire, charter, take on
lease rent/lease-out/sell all
kinds of air, sea, road, railway
transportation including
specialized transportation with or
without freezing facilities,
subject to approval of the
competent authority;
-
initiate, arrange, sponsor
publication of both local and
international bulletins,
magazines, newspapers, journal,
books and periodicals;
-
assist in developing and executing
HACCP/ISO/TQM systems and other
regulatory system for development
of agribusiness;
-
set up, develop or assist to set
up, promote, establish the
“Agri-Export Promotion
Zone” with all
infrastructure and communication
facilities, subject to approval of
the competent authority;
-
assist entrepreneurs in receiving
funds, loans, credit etc from
scheduled banks, cooperative
societies, development financial
institutions, specialized
financial institutions and other
similar agencies, subject to
approval of the competent
authority;
-
assist and establish agribusiness
industry including creating
facilities and other
infrastructure in the country
either in Export Processing Zones,
economic priority areas, less
developed areas and any other
places in Bangladesh territory,
subject to approval of the
competent authority;
-
recover service charges, fees and
other similar charges from member
and non-members, any individuals,
agencies, institutions and
organizations against services
rendered by Hortex directly or
indirectly, subject to approval of
the competent authority;
-
import or procure locally any
machinery/appliance/equipment,
etc. required for agribusiness and
agricultural products for sale or
distribution with or without
monetary consideration for
facilitating agricultural
production, marketing, exports and
developing quality of agricultural
products, subject to approval of
the competent authority;
-
import or procure locally seeds,
pesticides, and other inputs
required for agribusiness and
agricultural products for sale or
distribution with or
withoutmonetary consideration for
facilitating agricultural
production, marketing, exports and
developing quality of agricultural
products;
-
improve post-harvest management to
minimize production loss through
introduction of new technologies;
-
piloting supply and value chain
management for agri-business
promotion;
-
promote fresh, organic and high
value agro-products at local and
international markets;
-
ensure monitoring and evaluation
for sustainability of high value
agro-products and its marketing;
-
develop national certification
system for organic and GAP for
fresh produces and high value
agro-products; and
-
develop website, establish &
maintain database on export
production and marketing of high
agricultural commodities.
Mission of The Foundation
-
Agribusiness development with high
value high quality commodities for
export
-
Small and Medium Enterprise (SME)
development through private
sectors
-
Promotion of high value high
quality agricultural production
following international standards
-
Promotion of contract/group
farming system following FARM to
MARKET approach
-
Promotion of low cost post-harvest
management technologies
-
Development of efficient supply
and value chain management
-
Development of sustainable
environmental management with
strict sanitary and phytosanitary
standards
-
Market intelligence support
promoting export
-
Human resource development
-
Employment generation, poverty
alleviation and farmers
empowerment.
Future Vision of The
Foundation
Development of high value
agro-commodities through commercial
agriculture system in Bangladesh
both for domestic market and export
promotion.
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