Export of Bangladeshi fruits and vegetables to the European markets seemed to take off months back when local exporters resumed exporting following the withdrawal of a temporary ban on a variety of farm produces. But the cheer did not last long as shipments of fruits and vegetables were denied access at the ports of entry on various grounds of non-compliance. The key reasons that halted most of these shipments related to the failure of sanitary and phyto-sanitary compliance - the foremost precondition for eatables to qualify for entry into European markets. Reports say, shipments were also turned down due to visible presence of pests. According to the European Union (EU) Food and Veterinary Office report, a total of 143 export consignments from Bangladesh were rejected during the first half of the current calendar year at various EU ports.
What is surprising is that while a good number of these consignments were not accompanied, as per EU requirement, by phyto-sanitary certificates (PCs), the rest were detected with fake certificates. This, no doubt, is a matter of serious concern, as occurrences such as these may warrant a permanent ban on export of farm produces from the country. There is already a temporary ban on some fruits and farm produces from Bangladesh which include betel leaf, one or two specific varieties of lime. Traces of bacteria were responsible for the ban. The EU had been quite candid in its actions in the past as regards many of the local farm produces and made no qualms about such incidents. It had earlier warned the government that it might ban import of agro products if these are detected with harmful organisms for five times in a row. The EU had also sought government actions on some farm produces including vegetables which were repeatedly found non-compliant.
But where did all these lead to? The traders who are responsible for the mess do not seem at all to be alert. But this does not justify government inaction against these errant traders. It is because of their misdeeds that the prospect of farm product export looks jeopardised. Exporters who sent fake certificates accompanying their consignments should be brought to book. In the list of the rejected consignments there were reportedly some which were accompanied by genuinely issued phyto-sanitary certificates. But these too were tuned down on grounds that these were either not issued properly or were issued for produces that still had ban on them.
It is more than clear that there is also a serious lack of vigilance and monitoring on the part of the government agencies involved. In the light of the prior warnings from the EU on compliance, it was expected that all concerned would seriously take note of the probable consequences. This is particularly so in as much as effective monitoring and overseeing is pivotal to creating a conducive environment for unhindered exports in the future in larger volumes. The government should see to it that the lacuna in the overseeing mechanism is corrected. The sooner it is the better.
Plugging holes in export of farm produces
FE Team | Published: August 28, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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