Export agro products to China: Envoy

Bangladesh can earn a huge amount in foreign currency by exporting different agriculture products to China, Commercial Counsellor of the Bangladesh Embassy in China M Mahfuzul Alam Khan has said.
The demand of lemon, mango, pineapple, jackfruit and guava in Chinese market is very high while they import a huge amount of these products from African and Asian countries, he said.
"Considering tariff, retail price and volume of import of China, Bangladesh can export the agro products to Chinese market easily. The production cost of the products in Bangladesh is very low while the products are available here," he told BSS recently, sharing a market analysis of the Commercial Wing of Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing.
Mahfuzul said China imports dried lemons and limes worth about US$ 28 million per year from South Africa, the USA and New Zealand. Retail price of the product is three to five RMB (Chinese currency) per piece in Chinese market, he added.
He informed that the Chinese buyers import fresh or dried mangos worth about US$ 17.7 million every year from Australia, Peru, Thailand and Philippines and the price of the mango is 14 to 20 RMB per piece.
The commercial counsellor said fresh or dried pineapples worth about US$ 5.2 million come in China every year from Thailand, the USA and Viet Nam while its price is two to three RMB per cell.
They import fresh or dried Guavas from Chinese Taipei and Thailand, he said, adding that the imported cost for the product is around US$ 1.8 million every year and its retail price in the Chinese market is three to five RMB per piece.
Deputy Director of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Mohammed Shahjalal said the EPB has already sent a list of Bangladesh's agricultural products to the Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporter's Association (BFVAPEA) to take steps for searching buyers of the products abroad.
"We will provide all support to the exporters if they want to export these products," he added.
BFVAPEA president SM Jahangir Hossain said the Commercial Wing of Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing should provide a list of potential buyers, which will make the process of export easy.
"This is a good initiative of the Bangladesh Embassy in China. But, they should provide a list of buyers," he added.