Russia seen as lucrative market for frozen food export
FE Report | Friday, 29 August 2008
The country's frozen foods exporters have found Russia as a lucrative new destination of their products that fetched them higher income over the past two years.
Earning from shrimp export to Russia more than doubled to Tk 2.5 billion in 2007-08 from Tk 1.0 billion in 2006-07.
Earlier, frozen foods were exported to countries in the European Union (EU) and the USA, but the exporters are now expanding the market to new areas following huge demand of the commodity in Russia.
Frozen foods exporters said despite drastic fall in prices of frozen foods in the international market and production shortfall due to last year's cyclone the sector earned $ 534.07 million in 2007-08, which was 3.64 per cent more that that of the previous year.
They said the international buyers have been imposing strict conditions on maintaining food safety issues.
Exporters said prices of shrimp fell by 40 per cent in the USA that affected overall earning of the frozen foods sector.
Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters' Association (BFFEA) president Kazi Belayet Hossain said: "We are complying with the food safety directives of EU. Not a single container was sent back from the EU in the past one year for presence of antibiotic."
He strongly refuted the recently published news that around 300 containers were sent back in the last few months. He termed the news as 'false' and 'fabricated'.
Mr. Hossain said: "The strict measure of EU on food safety issues brings a positive result for shrimp industry. Every exporter has become conscious about quality issue."
Exporters are now taking preparation to meet an EU inspection team, which is scheduled to arrive in November next. The team will visit all shrimp exporting units and testing laboratories.
Frozen foods exporters have been developing infrastructure and installing modern machinery in cooperation of government to satisfy the inspection team.
Earlier, the EU in a letter to the government said it might impose ban on export of frozen foods if exporters failed to satisfy the upcoming visiting team with significant improvement in shrimp industries.
The government is also installing modern equipment in the laboratories and arranging training programmes for technicians.
It has taken initiative to install two more anti-biotic detection machine LCMSMS.
Earning from shrimp export to Russia more than doubled to Tk 2.5 billion in 2007-08 from Tk 1.0 billion in 2006-07.
Earlier, frozen foods were exported to countries in the European Union (EU) and the USA, but the exporters are now expanding the market to new areas following huge demand of the commodity in Russia.
Frozen foods exporters said despite drastic fall in prices of frozen foods in the international market and production shortfall due to last year's cyclone the sector earned $ 534.07 million in 2007-08, which was 3.64 per cent more that that of the previous year.
They said the international buyers have been imposing strict conditions on maintaining food safety issues.
Exporters said prices of shrimp fell by 40 per cent in the USA that affected overall earning of the frozen foods sector.
Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters' Association (BFFEA) president Kazi Belayet Hossain said: "We are complying with the food safety directives of EU. Not a single container was sent back from the EU in the past one year for presence of antibiotic."
He strongly refuted the recently published news that around 300 containers were sent back in the last few months. He termed the news as 'false' and 'fabricated'.
Mr. Hossain said: "The strict measure of EU on food safety issues brings a positive result for shrimp industry. Every exporter has become conscious about quality issue."
Exporters are now taking preparation to meet an EU inspection team, which is scheduled to arrive in November next. The team will visit all shrimp exporting units and testing laboratories.
Frozen foods exporters have been developing infrastructure and installing modern machinery in cooperation of government to satisfy the inspection team.
Earlier, the EU in a letter to the government said it might impose ban on export of frozen foods if exporters failed to satisfy the upcoming visiting team with significant improvement in shrimp industries.
The government is also installing modern equipment in the laboratories and arranging training programmes for technicians.
It has taken initiative to install two more anti-biotic detection machine LCMSMS.