Local milk powder churns high

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=113450

Local milk powder churns high

Sohel Parvez

The dairy industry is set for a boom as another processor Pran moves to produce milk powder with a promise to purchase fresh milk from farmers round the year without curtailing procurement even during peak production season.

Pran will be the third in making powdered milk from locally produced liquid milk after Bangladesh Milk Producers’ Cooperatives Union Ltd (BMPCUL) and Brac.

Operators said the entry of Pran would enhance the overall powdered milk producing capacity of the three processors from about 21,000 tonnes a year to about 26,000 tonnes. The targeted quantity will be at least three-fourth of the total annual imports of powdered milk that costs around Tk 700 crore.

Pran now processes liquid milk and has already set up a powdered milk producing plant with an annual production capacity of around 4,800 tonnes. The total cost of the project is estimated at nearly Tk 20 crore, said Kamruzzaman Kamal, director in charge of marketing of Pran-RFL Group.

Industry stakeholders said Pran’s new venture would be helpful for dairy farmers as they will not be forced to sell their produce at lower price due to excess supply of milk during the peak production season — mainly from January to June.

The new plant will help Pran buy more fresh milk from the farmers during the peak season to produce powdered milk.

“We also want to ensure uninterrupted purchase of milk all the time from the farmers without capping supply during peak season,” Kamal said.

Insiders said such purchase will also help Pran process liquid milk in a big quantity during lean season when production slumps by nearly 30 percent.

But availability of fresh milk throughout the year at a price encouraging enough for processors to compete with imported milk powder remains as a concern, the insiders said.

Despite a steady rise in production in the recent years, price of fresh milk remains high because of a low yield and high feed cost.

The situation hurts the competitive edge of the processors who need to spend more than Tk 300 to make a kilogramme of milk powder now.

But the current price of imported milk powder is Tk 225-Tk 240 a kg, Kamal said.

“It will be difficult to compete with imported powdered milk,” he said.

Mohammad Ali, general manager of Brac Dairy and Food Project, said the amount of powdered milk import is only about 15 percent of the total annual production in Bangladesh.

“We can bring down the imports to zero level within the next two-three years if the government offers tariff protection,” said Ali of Brac Dairy, which processes and markets Aarong brand liquid and powdered milk.

Brac, the second biggest processor, has a capacity to produce more than 2,000 tonnes of milk powder a year. The biggest processor, BMPCUL, which markets Milk Vita brand, has a capacity of producing over 19,000 tonnes, officials said.

Brac collects around 100,000 litres of fresh milk from the farmers in 26 districts per day and now uses half of its capacity. The social business venture now sells around 30 tonnes of milk powder per month, Ali said.

“We can increase our production and expand capacity further if government policy support is available,” said Ali.

sohel@thedailystar.net

Fish farming at paddy fields gaining popularity in Kurigram

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=112721

Fish farming at paddy fields gaining popularity in Kurigram
Unb, Kurigram

Fish cultivation along with paddy in paddy fields is gaining popularity as it brings financial benefit to farmers in the district.

Local sources said farmers cultivated fish on 600 acres of land along with paddy this year.

Experiencing the financial benefit, other farmers also came forward and followed the same technique of fish farming along with paddy.

Ayesha Begum and Mofasser Ali of Belgachha West Kalyan village released four and a half kg of fish fries on one bigha of aman paddy two months back.

They have so far sold fish valued at Tk 4,000 before harvesting paddy. They expect to sell more fishes worth Tk 5,000 during the harvesting time.

Farm manager of the District Fisheries Department Riaz Uddin said it is easy and profitable to cultivate fish along with paddy, as rainwater is available during the aman season.

Two NGOs – RDRS Bangladesh and KDS – imparted necessary training and assistance to the farmers for such fish farming.

If fish farming along with paddy at paddy fields spread all over the country, demand for rice along with protein will be fulfilled to a great extent. This will benefit farmers and the country’s economy as well.

HSBC arranges largest term financing in poultry sector

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=148570

HSBC arranges largest term financing in poultry sector
ECONOMIC REPORTER

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Ltd in Bangladesh arranges the largest syndicated term financing in the poultry sector for Kazi Grand Parents Limited. Kazi Grand Parents is a concern of Kazi Farms Group.

A ceremony marking the financial closure was held recently at a local hotel. Chief executives and senior officials of banks and Kazi Farms were present on the occasion. A syndicate of twenty banks will be providing Tk 1,250 million term financing and Tk 600 million working capital facilities for the expansion of poultry projects. The expansion projects will primarily establish backward linkage facilities for producing day–old-chicks and poultry feed for the poultry farmers of the country. Day-old-chicks and poultry feed are the raw materials required by the poultry farmers to produce chicken and table eggs, says a press release.

Apart from HSBC, the other banks in the syndicate are Bank Asia Limited, BRAC Bank Limited, The City Bank Limited, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PIc, Dhaka Bank Limited, Dutch BangIa Bank Limited, Eastern Bank Limited, ICB Islamic Bank Limited, IFIC Bank Limited, Mercantile Bank Limited, Mutual Trust Bank Limited, National Bank Limited, One Bank Limited, Prime Bank Limited, Pubali Bank Limited, Southeast Bank Limited, Trust Bank Limited, United Commercial Bank Limited, and Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited.

Today the poultry sector in Bangladesh is contributing significantly to national economy. Accordingly to an estimate, the poultry farmers are currently producing more than 400 million broilers and 6.6 billion eggs every year. At present, around 40 per cent of country’s meat requirement is met by poultry and the sector is growing at the rate of more than 10 per cent. The sector is not only supplying, animal protein at an affordable price, but also created more than 6million employment in the country.

Kazi Farms is the pioneer of scientific and modem poultry industry in Bangladesh. The company is the first one to establish vital backward linkages to locally produce Day-Old-Chicks from Grand Parents.

Frozen food exports to Russia resume

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=112609

Frozen food exports to Russia resume
Sohel Parvez

Frozen foods export to Russia has resumed recently as the country gave a go-ahead to four local processors for shipping shrimp to its territory, industry insiders said.

They said reopening of export, based on quality parameters of Russian authorities, has opened up scope for Bangladesh’s frozen foods to diversify markets and reduce dependence mainly on EU and the US.

“It will enhance our exports and enable the sector to sustain. Opening of the Russian market will also increase our bargaining power with buyers,” said Masudur Rahman, director of Fresh Foods Ltd, one of the four companies that have got permission to open export to Russia.

Fresh Foods along with Bagerhat Sea Foods, Apex Foods and ARK Sea Foods got clearance to enter the Russian market based on an inspection report by a Russian veterinary team that had earlier visited Bangladesh’s shrimp processing plants and looked into hygiene practices.

“We are extremely happy. We have started shipping consignments to Russia,” said Ashim Kumar Barua, director of Apex Foods Ltd, one of the new entrants to Russian market.

Until January, processors of frozen foods, the second biggest forex earners, were exporting to Russia.

But exports came to a halt in January after Russia imposed a restriction on entry of Bangladesh’s shrimp on safety ground.

The restriction led to a 55 percent slump in export to the country to $14.78 million in fiscal year 2008-09 from $32.95 million a year ago.

The sanction forced Bangladesh to sign a bilateral understanding deal with Russia for facilitating frozen foods export to the country.

Officials of Department of Fisheries and other stakeholders said signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) would help open the market officially for Bangladesh’s frozen foods.

“The MoU between the governments will further facilitate entrance of Bangladesh’s shrimp. Entry to Russia will contribute to market diversification also,” said Syed Mahmudul Huq, chairman of Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation.

Insiders said exports of Bangladesh frozen foods, majority of which are shrimp, are mainly dependent on the European Union and the US markets. But any sanction by the authorities of these regions hurts the sector that offers jobs directly to more than 1 million people.

Leaders of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association said exports to Russia would reduce dependence on EU markets and offer scope to explore other East Asian markets.

sohel@thedailystar.net

Aftab Farms wins Asian Livestock Industry Award

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/11/04/83328.html

Aftab Farms wins Asian Livestock Industry Award

Aftab Bahumukhi Farms Limited has won the prestigious Asian Livestock Industry Award-2009 (Emerging Integrator) in recognition for the outstanding contribution made to the Livestock Industry, said a press release.

The Asian Agribusiness Media Pte Ltd presents this award once in two years to the leading integrated Asian companies.

The award was presented by YB Datuk Seri Noh Bin Hj Omar, minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Malaysia at the opening ceremony of Livestock Asia Expo and Forum-2009, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia recently.

Govt to establish Aquaculture Food Safety Centre

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/11/03/83252.html

Govt to establish Aquaculture Food Safety Centre

FE Report

The government has taken an initiative to set up an International Aquaculture Food Safety Centre, which experts believe will help Bangladesh earn more foreign exchange through exporting frozen food items.

Commerce Secretary Mr. Feroz Ahmed disclosed this Sunday in a programme in Khulna.

Joint Institute of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), a Joint initiative of US FDA and University of Maryland for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, arranged ‘Training of the Trainers’ programme on Good Aquaculture Practices in Bangladesh in the southwestern divisional city.

The commerce secretary informed that Fishery Products Business Promotion Council (FPBPC) under Ministry of Commerce has taken the move to establish the food safety centre.

It will be managed jointly by BSFF and JIFSAN under Public Private Partnership model as an affiliate of FPBPC. This Centre would help sustain the activities of the National Action Plan beyond the tenure of the current project.

S. M. Istiak, Chief (Programme) of Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) told the FE that such an initiative will help a lot to improve the image of Bangladesh frozen food products abroad.

JIFSAN is organising this training programme as a part of a National Action Plan to combat nitrofuran and other chemical hazards, establishing a credible traceability system and developing sustainable Codes of Conduct for the Shrimp industry. JIFSAN will hold a series of programme on Good Aquaculture Practices in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, a delegation from US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) led by Mr. Brett Koonse and accompanied by Syed Mahmudul Huq, Chairman, Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation Thursday last met Commerce Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan at his office and explained the significance of the training programme. The Commerce Secretary Mr. Feroz Ahmed and former President of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) Abul Kalam Azad were also present at the meeting.

The Minister appreciated Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation initiative to establish institutional linkage between Industry, Academia and Government with international collaboration and hope that this would help Bangladesh produce and export shrimp and fish in a manner that would ensure food safety, environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

The US FDA team briefed the commerce minister that JIFSAN reached an understanding to organise a series of Trainers Programs on Good Aquaculture Practices in Bangladesh.

Increase of Hilsha production up to 300,000 tons planned

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/15/news0764.htm

Increase of Hilsha production up to 300,000 tons planned

BSS, Dhaka

The government has undertaken an action plan to preserve the breeding places of hilsa across the country, targeting to increase its production up to about 300,000 tonnes during the current fiscal.

Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Sharful Alam while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday said the hilsha production stood up to around 2.98 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 from 1.99 lakh tonnes in 2002-03.

“Now the production of hilsha has to be raised to 300,000 tonnes in 2009-10 fiscal year to meet the growing demand for protein in the country,” Alam said.

The press conference was organized by the Department of Fisheries (DOF) on the eve of the 10-day (October 15 to 24) hilsha breeding place preservation drive.

The secretary said elaborate programme was also chalked out to implement the act on preserving the hilsha breeding places during the next ten days beginning today.

Nearly 65 percent matured hilsha is being caught by the fishermen during the August-October period every year, he said and stressed the need for its proper protection to raise production.

Sharful Alam said the government usually imposes ban on hilsha catch every year during this time along the coastal areas as about 70-80 per cent hilsha become matured and most of the spawns (eggs) are being released during the September-October breeding season. “Strict implementation of the hilsha ban act, especially for ten days, create awareness among the people not to catch gravid hilsha, preservation of its male and female and overall increase in its production,” he said.

The government, meanwhile, declared another hilsha sanctuary in the downstream of Padma in Shariatpur district, Alam said adding that hilsha now represents its stake with 12 percent in total annual supply of fishes to all consumers.

The press conference was told that the ban on hilsha catch would be strictly followed in four sanctuaries, 21 upazilas in seven coastal districts.

The sanctuaries are: Shaher Khali- Haitkhandi point under Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong district, north Kutubdia- Ghandamara under Kutubdia upazila in Chittagong district, north Tazumuddin-west Syed Awlia point under Tazumuddin upazila in Bhola district and 7,000 sq. kilometres Latachapali point under Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali district.

The 21 upazilas are: Lalmohan, Tazumuddin, Charfashion, Manpura, Dawlatkhan under Bhola district; Dasmina, Galachipa and Kalapara under Patuakhali district; Ramghati, Kamalnagar under Lakshipur, Subarnachar, Hatia and Companiganj under Noakhali district; Sonagaji under Feni dsitrict; Mirsarai, Sitakundu, Anwara, Bashkhali and Swandip under Chittagong district and Kutubdia and Maheshkhali under Cox’s bazaar district.

Officials of the Department of Fisheries, district administration, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guard and Bangladesh Police have been deployed in these areas to implement the programme.

According to the officials, as many as 500,000 fishermen directly and 20,00,000 people indirectly are involved with the hilsha fishing, transport and marketing in the country.

They said at least 60 percent of the total catch of hilsha around the globe is being done in Bangladesh, which commands the absolute ownership of this renewable natural resources.

The government expects that all sections of the people will come forward with a missionary zeal to protect Jhatka or immature hilshas from the wrath of illegal catchers in the greater national interest.

Local poultry vaccine in a year: BAPI

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=145529

Local poultry vaccine in a year: BAPI
UNB, DHAKA

The country is going to produce much-needed poultry vaccine locally within a year, Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) announced the breakthrough in the animal health sector.

In a further significant advancement, Bangladesh’s rising pharmaceutical industry will take two more years to manufacture human vaccine.

Secretary-General of the association Abdul Muktadir came up with the announcement of the advances in the two fields at a dissemination seminar yesterday.

“Within one year we’ll be able to produce poultry vaccine and two more years will be needed to produce human vaccine on the local market,” Muktadir said.

Directorate of Drug Administration (DDA) organised the seminar titled ‘Fast Track Licensing for WHO Pre-qualified Vaccines Used in EPI’ at the Sheraton Hotel in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Health Minister Prof Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, WHO Bangladesh representative Dr Duangradee Sungkhobol and Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Society President Prof ABM Faroque, among others, spoke on the function chaired by director, DDA, Brig Gen Dr Ismail Hossain. DDA assistant director AA Salim Barami presented the keynote paper.

Muktadir said the country has to import both human and poultry vaccines to meet a huge local demand.

Speaking as chief guest, Health Minister Prof Dr AFM Ruhal Haque said the government has taken all necessary steps to enhance its drug-testing lab capacity to promote the local pharmaceuticals.

About fast-track registration, Salim Barami said this procedure is applicable to all imported pre-qualified vaccines that are used in national immunisation programme and supplied trough a UN agency or procured directly by the government.

“The vaccines currently used in EPI and the vaccines which will be used in future in EPI (procured from WHO pre-qualified list) will be eligible for fast-track registration,” he told the meet.

Faroque urged the DDA to ensure maintaining cold chain of any vaccine to ensure their efficacy.

“The success of any immunisation programme depends on administering effective vaccines. It is important to ensure vaccines are stored in optimal conditions to maintain their effectiveness,” he said.

Faroque, also teacher of pharmaceutical technology, said a cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain. An unbroken cold chain is an uninterrupted series of storage and distribution activities, which maintain a given temperature range.

Poultry farms boost Netrakona rural economy

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/oct/04/home.html#1

Poultry farms boost Netrakona rural economy
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Netrakona

Poultry farming has given a significant boost to the rural economy with more than 2000 big, medium and small sized poultry farms creating jobs for hundreds of unemployed people in Netrakona.

Officials of the district livestock department said that Bangladesh Krishi Bank and other such financial institutions were providing loans under the government’s poverty alleviation programme to establish income-generating project like poultry farms.

The field level officials of the district livestock department have been extending due cooperation to the poultry farm owners while the veterinary doctors in mobile teams are rendering medicare service to improve the health of poultry birds.

Talking to the news agency, Aftab Ahmed, owner of a big poultry farm at Mukterpara, said Tk 550 to Tk 600 was needed for rearing a hybrid chicken, which laid 300 to 330 eggs a year. ‘I can easily earn a substantial amount of profit from my farm,’ he said.

Aftab also said he had received loan from a state-run bank to set up poultry farm, which ultimately brought about a positive change in his life, enabling him also to contribute in the economy through creating employment opportunities for a number of people in the area.

Khaleda Begum, a housewife and a small poultry farm owner in the remote village Shyampur under Mohnganj upazila of the district, said that Tk 1.50 was needed for feeding a chicken everyday.

She was inspired by other housewives in her area and also poultry farm owners as well as field-level workers of the livestock department to set up a poultry farm, which has already started becoming a profitable venture.

Big entrepreneurs said that many unemployed young men and women and marginal farmers in the district had started achieving tremendous success after setting up poultry farms.

According to them, poultry farming will further flourish if a big cold storage is established in the district by the government or under private initiative to preserve the eggs prior to marketing.

Expansion of livestock farming stressed

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=108226

Expansion of livestock farming stressed
Bss, Rajshahi

Wide-ranging expansion of livestock farming is needed to remove the existing protein deficiency along with cutting the poverty rate in the country’s northwestern region.

The unemployment problem in the rural areas could be reduced to a greater extent through making the dairy farming popular in the grassroots level.

Dr Jalal Uddin, an associate professor and chairman of Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science of Rajshahi University, told BSS that the northwestern region has an enormous prospect of expanding the livestock sector through best uses of the existing natural resources.

In addition to meet the nutritional deficit especially meat and milk, the livestock rearing is very helpful for increasing soil nutrient, which is being declined gradually due to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers.

Terming the sector as a neglected one he suggested a collective efforts of all extension and research organisations to attain the goal. “The sector needs a political will,” he added.

Dr Jalal opined that only cattle play an important role in agricultural operation side by side with providing valuable human nutritional foods like milk and meat, industrial raw materials like skin and manures, socio-economic security and income generation.

He, however, said most of the people suffer from malnutrition specially lacking animal protein like milk, meat and egg. In this context, he revealed that production of huge amount of meat through the indigenous beef-cattle improvement would supply low cost meat for people and it will ultimately recover them from malnutrition.

Production of good breed cattle from existing indigenous stock by applying artificial breeding technology particularly Shahiwal and local cattle cross breeding is very essential in this regard.

Poultry firms boost rural economy

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/10/02/80435.html

Poultry firms boost rural economy

NETRAKONA, Oct 1 (BSS): Poultry farming has given a significant boost to the rural economy with more than 2000 big, medium and small sized poultry farms creating jobs for hundreds of unemployed people in the district.

Officials of the district Fisheries and Livestock Department said here today that Bangladesh Krishi Bank and other such financial institutions were providing loans under the government’s poverty alleviation programme to establish income-generating projects like poultry farms.

The field level officials of the department have been extending due cooperation to the poultry farm owners while the mobile teams of veterinary doctors are rendering medicare service to improve the health of poultry birds.

Talking to the news agency, Mr Aftab Ahmed, owner of a big poultry farm at Mukterpara area, said Tk 550 to 600 was needed for rearing a hybrid chicken, which lays 300 to 330 eggs a year. “I can easily earn a substantial amount of profit from my farm,” he said.

Ban on shrimp export to Europe to go

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=144013

Ban on shrimp export to Europe to go
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Bangladesh’s frozen food exporters have decided to withdraw their voluntary suspension of fresh water prawn exports to Europe from the last week of November next.

This was disclosed at a seminar on ‘Shrimp export from Bangladesh: prospects and challenges’ at a city hotel yesterday.

Four organisations, including the Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation, jointly organised the seminar in collaboration with the ministry of commerce and the ministry of fisheries.

The seminar was told that, with the introduction of antibiotic testing in 2004, Bangladesh received a significant number of rejections from the US and the EU and Japan due to nitrofuran, an antibiotic that is used to inhibit bacterial growth in food animal, and other contamination found in Bangladeshi shrimps.

The ministry of fisheries and livestock and the department of food meticulously attempted to address this issue by banning nitrofuran use in 2008 but more rejections occurred in 2009, which could have resulted in the blacklisting of Bangladesh shrimp products in Europe, it added.

Instead, there was a remarkable response by the Bangladeshi shrimp industry, which decided to impose a voluntary suspension on one kind of freshwater prawn exports to the EU market in order to evaluate and address this issue. But the decision created distress to the exporters and buyers of Bangladeshi frozen foods.

The overall industry earning was reduced to 13 per cent (US $469 million) this year (2008-2009) due to the voluntary export ban and global recession and some major environmental disasters like cyclone and Sidr.

Shrimp is the second largest foreign exchange earner after RMG.

‘We hope that by the end of the self-imposed ban, Bangladeshi frozen food exporters will earn more foreign currency and the government is ready to extend all kinds of cooperation, including setting up a high standard testing lab’, said commerce minister Faruk Khan while speaking at the inaugural function of the seminar as the chief guest.

However, the minister warned the shrimp industry that the government would not compromise on environmental distraction. ‘Environment and development have a natural clash, we have to overcome it for our great interest’, Faruk added.

Among others, secretary, ministry of commerce Feroz Ahmed, ambassador of the European Commission Stefan Frowein, Ambassador of the United States of America James F. Moriarty, President of Global Aquaculture Alliance Dr. George Chamberlain, DG of the Department of Fisheries Rafiqul Islam, Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation Chairman Syed Mahmudul Huq and President Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association Musa Mia addressed the seminar while Dr. Mahmudul Karim,  Technical Adviser, national working committee gave a presentation on the overall shrimp sector.

US Ambassador James F. Moriarty said that last year American consumers bought half of the shrimp production of Bangladesh, worth more than $100 million.

He said in order to expand markets for Bangladesh’s shrimp exports, producers here must adhere to international standards, particularly with regard to health, environment and labour standards. As the temporary suspension of trade with Europe illustrated, Bangladesh shrimp export must be safe and of a high quality. Consumers in the US and Europe also pay attention to the condition of workers who harvest and process products like shrimp, he added.

‘Bangladesh can overtake Vietnam in billion dollar global Pangas market’

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/09/28/80107.html

‘Bangladesh can overtake Vietnam in billion dollar global Pangas market’

Munima Sultana

Bangladesh can grab a large slice of the billion dollar global Pangas market, as local farms are raising the fish much cheaper than their Vietnamese counterparts, farmers and officials said Sunday.

Vietnam has a 98 per cent stake in global Pangas export, shipping fillet and fish worth over billion dollars in Europe and America last year at a rate the Bangladeshi farmers said only they can match in the international market.

With shrimp becoming a luxury food in the recession-hit West, millions of fish lovers have now switched their liking to Pangas, triggering a 20-30 per cent growth in consumption in the European markets alone over the past 18 months.

“Pangas fish farming has become an established agro-processing industry in the country over the last decade,” said Mohammad Sazzad Hossain, a leader of Bangladesh fish farmer association.

“Yet, there has been no government initiative to explore export market for the fast booming farming sector. In contrast, Vietnam has moved aggressively and now enjoys a complete monopoly,” he said.

According to the Department of Fisheries, Bangladeshi farmers last year cultivated 2.25 million metric tonnes of Pangas — also known as catfish — against a nationwide demand of 2.9 million metric tonnes.

Farmers said after a massive growth in the 1990s and earlier this decade, production has stagnated in the last two years owing to low price regime as the fish is considered poor people’s protein source.

On an average farmers in the main Pangas production areas now spend Tk40 to raise one-kilogram Pangas fish, which is lower than the production cost in Vietnam.

“Yet, we have failed to cash in on our price advantages in the European market despite high demand. We lack hygiene and processing standards that are prerequisite for export,” Sazzad said.

“There is no integrated plan from the authorities to export the fish, which can inject a new momentum in the Pangas industry and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs,” he said.

Dr. MA Mazid, national consultant of UN Industries Development Organisation (UNIDO), said cultivation of Pangas has been a “big success story” of our agro sector in the past one decade.

“It can overtake shrimp as the leading frozen food export item, as research has shown Bangladeshi ponds and rivers are the most suitable place to raise Pangas,” Mazid said.

To reach that goal, he said some 4,000 Pangas farms in the country should first ensure quality of fish fries, proper dietary feeding and environment friendly cultivation — features seen as crucial for entry into the export market.

Farmers also admit that the Pangas cultivation suffers from a number of setbacks including non-availability of balanced food, excess land taxes and ban on import of some key raw materials.

“But most of these problems are created by the authorities. Unless they fix these setbacks, we can’t grow like the Vietnamese farms,” another farmer said.

A high official of Department of Fisheries said the government is aware of the export potential of Pangas, but the farmers should first come forward with an “integrated plan.”

Sazzad said Vietnam has already set a target to earn $ 4.0 billion from Pangas export in 2010, “yet we are now sleeping over our potentials.”

“We have recently sought incentives from the government to implement compliance standards demanded by the European Union. But so far we haven’t heard anything from the government.”

Barisal hilsa export earnings rise

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=107142

Barisal hilsa export earnings rise

Unb, Barisal

Earnings from export of delicious hilsa fish have increased here three times, as the government has fixed its export price.

Abdul Hye, manager of Barisal fish landing centre of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation said the earnings from hilsa export in August and September 2009 increased three times than that in the

corresponding period of the previous year.

He said export earnings have increased, as the government on April 12, 2008 fixed the minimum price of hilsa weighing between 600 grams

and one kg at US$ 6 per kg, that between 1 kg to 1.5 kg at US$8 and that weighing over 1.5 kg at US$ 12.

Belayet Hossain, assistant marketing officer of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation in Barisal, said in the last two months 190.64 tonnes of hilsa fishes were exported from this centre which earned Tk 8.68 crore.

Hilsa season has just started and hilsa export earnings from this centre will exceed Tk 100 core, he hoped.

Indian importers stopped import on February 19, 2009, protesting the fixation of hilsa price by the Bangladesh government and demanding reduction in the price of the delicious fish.

But later Indian importers resumed hilsa import at the Bangladesh government fixed rate on June 29 to meet their local demand.

Zahiruddin Shikdar, a local hilsa trader, said due to pressure from the local consumers the Indian importers were compelled to resume hilsa import from Bangladesh at the government fixed rate.

After visiting local market it was found that standard size of hilsa weighing 600-1000 grams are being sold at local wholesale market at Tk 350-500.

Hilsa over 1000-1500 grams are being sold at Tk 500-750, while1500-2000 grams or over at Tk 750-1500 in the local market.

Ajit Das Monu, president of Bangladesh Non-frozen Fish Exporters Association, said plenty of hilsa are being netted but the fishermen and traders are facing storage and packaging problems due to acute shortage of ice and irregular electricity supply.

Frozen food exporters target Tk 10b earnings by 2013

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=106877

Frozen food exporters target Tk 10b earnings by 2013

Bss, Chittagong

Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) has targeted Tk 10,000 crore from exports of frozen foods by 2013.

Frozen food exporters, mostly the members of the BFFEA, earned Tk 3,180.80 crore in fiscal year 2008-09, 20.83 percent lower than the previous year due to the global recession.

“But with the recovery trend of the global economy, the demand for frozen foods in the world market has started going up again,” said Mohammad Musa Mia, BFFEA president.

He is optimistic about the bright prospects of frozen food export and believes that the country can fetch Tk10,000 crore from this sector.

The main item of the frozen food is prawn, but the demand for shrimp in the global market is also on the rise.

Musa said the export earnings could be increased substantially by bringing the production and processing of the fish under the latest technology.

The demand for shrimp is increasing in global markets including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and some Asian and Middle-eastern countries.

At present, farmers are producing prawn on 1.70 lakh hectares of land.

The sectoral trade body chief suggested the government bring more two lakh hectares of land under shrimp and prawn production in the coastal area.

To meet the increasing demand, he also suggested expansion of prawn production in Sylhet, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Jessore, Patuakhali and Barisal.

The farmers in Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong and Khulna are now the main producers of prawn and shrimp for export.