12 cos get govt nod to export Tk 423m freshwater shrimp
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Sonia H Moni
The potential shrimp industry will get further boost as 12 companies received certificate from authorities to export about 407.196 metric tons of freshwater prawn worth Tk 423 million (42.3 crore) to the European countries, said officials.
Moslehuddin Ahmed, deputy director of Fish Inspection and Quality Control, Khulna said, "We have certified six companies for 10 consignments and they will export 119.856 metric tons of freshwater prawn worth Tk 127 million."
MA Jalil, deputy director of Fish Inspection and Quality Control, Chittagong said, "We have certified six companies for 31 consignments and they will export 287.34 metric tons of freshwater prawn worth Tk 296 million."
The initiative will bring hope of light to the industry as devastation by cyclone Aila, global recession and government's temporary self-imposed ban seriously struck the sector, said Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) President Musa Miah.
"We are confident to export around Tk 45 billion freshwater shrimp to different destinations including EU if the government and the weather favour us," he told FE.
The BFFEA president said the sector had faced uncertainty after two consecutive disasters followed by global recession that brought down prices, forcing the exporters to shut down some factories.
"We have got nothing from the government during the severe crisis, not even a single coin from the Tk 50 billion stimulus package," Musa pointed out.
He said the government itself imposed an embargo on freshwater prawn export in April, 2009 to European countries following complaint over Nitrofuran, an anti-biotic, which resulted in cancellation of more than 50 consignments.
"We conceded loss of Tk 1.0 billion during the eight months gap including six months self-imposed ban. At that time we exported freshwater prawn to Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle-East and the United Sates at low prices."
"We have storage of freshwater prawn worth 4 billion which we have to sell before the end of February; otherwise there will be an accommodation crisis for black tiger storage as it will be the harvesting time of the latter."
BFFEA Vice-President Maqsudur Rahman said a three-member delegation of the European Union Food and Veterinary Office (EU FVO) will visit Bangladeshi fish farms, hatcheries, labs and processing facilities on January 18.
"The EU team will visit two or three shrimp farms and hatcheries of Chittagong and Khulna to check quality levels in aquaculture products - which is a move that is believed to step forward the shrimp industry to the global market."
The country's frozen food exports during the July-November period of the current fiscal year 2009-10 plunged 24.51 per cent to $ 182.98 million compared to the same period a year ago, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed.
The potential shrimp industry will get further boost as 12 companies received certificate from authorities to export about 407.196 metric tons of freshwater prawn worth Tk 423 million (42.3 crore) to the European countries, said officials.
Moslehuddin Ahmed, deputy director of Fish Inspection and Quality Control, Khulna said, "We have certified six companies for 10 consignments and they will export 119.856 metric tons of freshwater prawn worth Tk 127 million."
MA Jalil, deputy director of Fish Inspection and Quality Control, Chittagong said, "We have certified six companies for 31 consignments and they will export 287.34 metric tons of freshwater prawn worth Tk 296 million."
The initiative will bring hope of light to the industry as devastation by cyclone Aila, global recession and government's temporary self-imposed ban seriously struck the sector, said Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) President Musa Miah.
"We are confident to export around Tk 45 billion freshwater shrimp to different destinations including EU if the government and the weather favour us," he told FE.
The BFFEA president said the sector had faced uncertainty after two consecutive disasters followed by global recession that brought down prices, forcing the exporters to shut down some factories.
"We have got nothing from the government during the severe crisis, not even a single coin from the Tk 50 billion stimulus package," Musa pointed out.
He said the government itself imposed an embargo on freshwater prawn export in April, 2009 to European countries following complaint over Nitrofuran, an anti-biotic, which resulted in cancellation of more than 50 consignments.
"We conceded loss of Tk 1.0 billion during the eight months gap including six months self-imposed ban. At that time we exported freshwater prawn to Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle-East and the United Sates at low prices."
"We have storage of freshwater prawn worth 4 billion which we have to sell before the end of February; otherwise there will be an accommodation crisis for black tiger storage as it will be the harvesting time of the latter."
BFFEA Vice-President Maqsudur Rahman said a three-member delegation of the European Union Food and Veterinary Office (EU FVO) will visit Bangladeshi fish farms, hatcheries, labs and processing facilities on January 18.
"The EU team will visit two or three shrimp farms and hatcheries of Chittagong and Khulna to check quality levels in aquaculture products - which is a move that is believed to step forward the shrimp industry to the global market."
The country's frozen food exports during the July-November period of the current fiscal year 2009-10 plunged 24.51 per cent to $ 182.98 million compared to the same period a year ago, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed.