The government has taken steps to increase export of agro-processed food items through addressing the existing bottlenecks, officials said.
The WTO (World Trade Organisation) Cell of the commerce ministry will conduct a study to identify the challenges of the processed food industry in Bangladesh and recommend possible solutions.
"We'll soon conduct the study on Agro-Process Food Industry. The objective is to contribute to export diversification and creation of skilled manpower for increasing the export of agro-process food," said an official at the commerce ministry.
There is a huge opportunity to expand the market of agro-pressed food items in and out of the country, industry insiders as well as commerce ministry officials said.
They said the potential of this sector is impeded by lack of proper knowledge and skills regarding quality compliances. The national quality standards are not well enforced due to technological backwardness, they added.
To develop this sector, they suggested that the producers should go through massive training on Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Agricultural Practice.
The processed food industry in the country represents one of the major potential sectors within the industrial segments in terms of contribution to value addition and employment, according to a commerce ministry document obtained by the FE.
The sector accounts for over 22 per cent of all manufacturing production and employs about 20 per cent of the labour forces. All food processing enterprises accounts for ?2 per cent of national GDP, mentioned the document.
The sector includes processing of cereals, pulses and oilseeds, bakery and confectionary, fruits and vegetables, dairy, carbonated beverages and non-carbonated fruit juices, drinks, other beverage and various other food items, according to deputy director of the WTO Cell.
Presently around 90 agro-processed items are being exported to about 70 countries throughout the world, he added. Major exported items are pickles, drinks, juices, spices, tea, party snacks, nuts, mustard oil, chips, biscuits, rose water, candy, puffed rice, potato flakes etc.
Major export markets of agro-processed food are Middle East, Europe and Asian countries.
There is a huge opportunity to increase the national GDP growth through export diversification of different agro-processed items, according to the commerce ministry document.
The items like vacuum fried fruits chips, real potato chips, spices powder, bakery products, soft drinks bottling, confectionary manufacturing, frozen vegetables, processed fish, grain products, meat, poultry and milk processing, tomato paste, canned jackfruit and pineapple, fast food, ready to eat breakfast cereals, food additives, flavours etc. have huge potential in domestic and export markets.
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