Reg for betel leaf export to EU begins in July

FE Report | Published: June 28, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Compulsory registration for exporting safe betel leaf to the European Union (EU) is going to begin from next month (July), officials said.
A contract sfarming arrangement between the government and the exporters to produce the bacteria-free betel leaf would be finalised within July, they said.
The decisions came at the recent meeting of the ministry of agriculture (MoA) organised to find out ways to convince the EU to lift the ban on betel leaves, enforced in February last year, after repeated detection of salmonella bacteria in betel leaves exported from Bangladesh, they added.
The ban on betel leaf export to the EU markets was expected to expire on June 30 next, they mentioned.
According to the decisions, no betel leaf except that produced under contract farming would be allowed to be exported to the EU markets. And the contract farmers must register with the government aiming to export bacteria-free betel leaves, an official at the DAE (Department of Agriculture Extension) said.
In line with the plan, the MoA already identified nine districts to grow safe betel leaves. Bagerhat, Barisal, Chuadanga, Jhenidah, Kushtia, Moulvibazar, Munshiganj, Rajshahi and Sylhet districts were found suitable for producing the item, he said.
About 62 exporters applied for registration from May 18 to June 18, 2015. But, there was no initiative by the exporters on contract farming, an MoA official said.
About 130 betel leaf farmers got training on production of safe and environmental hazard-free betel leaves in Natore to ensure safe export of the item to the EU, he said.
The authority concerned and the DAE are likely to send the lists of about 62 exporters and 100 farmers of betel leaves.
"EU countries are a large market for vegetables. Safe and hygienic betel leaves and vegetables should be exported to boost the country's export earnings," an MoC (Ministry of Commerce) official said.
The main markets of betel leaf are the UK, Italy and Saudi Arabia, according to an EU report.
The country fetched US$ 105 million from vegetable and fruit exports in the July-February period of the fiscal year (FY) 2014-15, up by 5.0 per cent year-on-year, according to the EPB (Export Promotion Bureau).
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