Vegetable exports see better future

From NewAgebd
Despite slow growth in exports of fresh vegetables and fruits, businessmen of these sectors are hopeful about the potentials.
They, however, want government’s help in establishing a modern processing centre with testing, sorting and packaging facilities and an efficient and hassle-free airport services.
Businessmen believe that such centre would help them in exporting more fresh produces by meeting standardisation requirements of buyers specially, in the European markets.
The Bangladesh Vegetable and Allied Fruits Exporters Association has already sought land, technical and financial supports from the government for the centre.
The association’s general secretary Mohammed Monsur told New Age that they had forwarded such proposal to commerce and finance ministries.
‘Following a recent meeting with the finance minister AMA Muhith, we are now expecting that government will announce establishment of a modern processing and packaging centre,’ Monsur told New Age on Thursday.
Monsur, who himself exports vegetables and fruits to Middle-east markets, including Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, admitted that exporters had been facing stiff competition from their counterparts from India, Kenya and Pakistan.
Some exporters told New Age that they were facing a new form of competition from the Pakistani and Indian exporters. Due to close proximity, exporters from these two counties are sending goods to Middle-east by ship.
‘Indian produces can be shipped cheaper due to use of waterways while Bangladeshi exporters apparently have no other option than expensive air shipment,’ said Shajahan Mia, an exporter.
Monsur of exporters’ association, however, said, ‘We are confident that room for Bangladeshi exporters will exist as the expatriate Bangladeshis are the main buyers who prefer home-grown produces,’ he added.
Anawar Hossain who exports vegetables and fruits to European markets, said growing population of Bangladeshis in many European cities are creating new markets for fresh Bangladeshi produces.
Earlier, UK was the major destination for fresh vegetables and fruits from Bangladesh, said Anwer, ‘For the past few years we have been sending consignments to Italy and France as Bangladeshi communities are also growing there.’
The latest data of the Export Promotion Bureau shows that in July-August period of the current fiscal Bangladeshi exporters shipped fresh produces worth of $10 million, which was nearly seven per cent lower than the export of corresponding period of the last financial year.
Exporters said the cause of export fall was mainly lack of modern processing centre, shortage of cargo services and timely supports from the government. Besides, they said currency depreciation in competing countries gave them extra edge over the Bangladesh produces at the global markets.

Courtesy of NewAgebd