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Frozen foods' export cross target despite EU ban |
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August 6, 2000
Dhaka (UNB) - The EU ban-driven downtrend in frozen foods export since 1997-98 reversed last fiscal to boost over 25 per cent from the previous year's mark and crossed the target for the first time. Despite price slump, withdrawal of the ban from some plants, blessings of nature and early maturity of shrimps helped beat the target by over 16 per cent, exporters said. European Union had slapped the sanctions on the export of Bangladeshi frozen foods to their countries on hygienic grounds. Later, they withdrew the restrictions from 44 plants in phases. The sector fetched about 344 million US dollars in 1999-2000 against the target of $296 million, according to the Export Promotion Bureau. In 1998-99, the export earnings from the sector amounted to $274.32 million. Volume of exports increased during July-June period of last financial year to 74.23 million pounds -- shrimp 62.73 million pounds and other frozen fishes 11.50 million pounds -- from 58.35 million pounds of the previous fiscal. International prices of shrimp came down to $5.14 per pound from $5.47 of the previous fiscal while frozen fish prices dropped to $1.86 from $2.28 per pound. Exporters said earnings from the second-largest export sector (6 per cent of the national export turnover) after readymade garments declined to about $266 million in 1997-98 from $273 million in 1996-97. The figure was $256 million in 1995-96. "The export made a turnaround last fiscal from $263 million in 1998-99 to an unprecedented achievement," a leading exporter said. Industry sources said production was not affected by any natural calamity during the period and the shrimps matured early (March-April) to make a stock for export. Normally, shrimps get matured in June-July period. The lone hindrance was nagging port problem in Mongla, through which 75 per cent of frozen food exports were made, for last three months of the fiscal barring at least $10 million worth of export, they estimated. They said the export earnings would cross $400 million by year 2003 if a government decision to lease out 100 acres of land for each of the existing 58 processing plants is implemented. It would enhance the back-up supports for the plants, they said, adding that the decision of 1996 lay shrouded in bureaucratic bottlenecks. "We export raw shrimps through traditional farming in ready-to-cook condition with only 5 per cent value addition…The earnings would get a boost if we can add value to exports in a ready-to-eat condition," said another exporter. For this breakthrough, he said, the plants will have to be modernised through BMRE that requires huge sums of money. He apprehended Bangladesh might lose the export market of frozen foods in the near future as most of the competing countries export with 100 percent value addition. Few countries import raw shrimps from Bangladesh to add value and re-export to other countries, he informed. |