A team from the European Union (EU) is expected to arrive in Bangladesh in the middle of October to have field-level experience on how compliant the shrimp exporters in Bangladesh have become in respect of exporting shrimp in healthy conditions. Our exporters need to be ready to face the EU team with confidence and do whatever that can be done in the short period available before the coming of the EU observation team, to close any gaps in their quality control mechanisms. Understandably, they need to take this visit from the EU team most seriously because at stake is their present regular export to the EU and the aspired growth in export activity to these countries.
The USAID some time ago started a programme to train up shrimp farmers on ' virus-free shrimp farming.' The aim of the programme was to assist the shrimp framers to raise the shrimps in a virus-free environment. Not only protection from viruses, the method was shown to also increase shrimp production ten fold. This system should be made an integral part of the activities of all shrimp farmers. Even enabling legislation can be considered to ensure this happening. Another thing that the government can do very usefully is the setting up of a seal of quality (SOQ) facility. The same can be done by the government itself with participation from the exporters. For that purpose, there would no dearth of the latest equipment for quality testing of frozen food. Exporters should be obligated to get their products tested by such equipment before exporting the same.
The long lasting security in the export of shrimps can be realised successfully from the adoption of these two means.
Sohail Samad
Maghbazar, Dhaka
Getting ready for the EU team
FE Team | Published: October 06, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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