Shrimp exporters expect to receive orders worth US$60 million from the European Seafood Exposition (ESE) 2011 to be held in the Belgian capital of Brussels, officials said. The three-day exposition, touted as the largest seafood show in the world, will begin on May 03, they said. Two government representatives from the state-run Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) will participate in the exposition to be accompanied by a delegation of 35 businessmen. "We can secure orders in the range of $50-60 million from the exposition and also have good response from foreign buyers like the last one," Kazi Shahnewaz, president of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association, told the FE Friday. The fairs help to boost the country's image, display about the local products to the foreign buyers, he said. He added that local producers and exporters come under a single platform to exchange views, gather knowledge about the global market trend and modern technology through this exposition. "Our exporters will be able to build up our image through sharing of the development in compliance issue and quality control of Bangladeshi shrimp sector," Khan Habibur Rahman, senior executive director of Lockpur Group-a leading frozen fish export- said. Moreover, it enables Bangladeshi exporters deal with the buyers directly, which results in good response from buyers, he said. His company bagged spot orders worth $ 25 million from the recently concluded International Boston Seafood Show- 2011 held in Washington D.C, Mr. Rahman said. The show will be a huge gathering for exhibitors and attendees of the shrimp sector where new products, modern technology and equipment will be displayed and it is helpful for Bangladeshi shrimp exporters, a senior EPB official said. Buyers and sellers from 144 countries will attend the exhibition while 1600 companies across the globe will exhibit seafood products, fresh, canned, frozen and value-added seafood; storage processing and handling equipment; a host of seafood related services including freight handling, insurance and information technology. Last year exporters obtained orders worth $40 million from the same fair. Shrimp is one of major foreign currency earners for Bangladesh, fetching as much as $445.18 million in 2009-10 fiscal, statistics showed. Exporters are hopeful that the country's overseas sales of frozen fish would reach as high as $ 650 million this financial year and $1.0 billion in the next fiscal year, smashing the previous records.
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