SME sector’s fund flow rises by 120pc in one year

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/26/news0544.htm

SME sector’s fund flow rises by 120pc in one year
BSS, Dhaka

The fund flow in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector has increased by 120 percent in the last one year as commercial banks and financial institutions responded

to the demand for loan and propel the growth in the sector, SME foundation sources said.

Almost 48 private commercial banks (PCBs) opened SME service centres planned for infusing their capital, investments and employment in the sector following the Bangladesh Bank’s directives in this regard.

According to a central bank’s figures, the banks and financial institutions have distributed loans of Taka 48,475 crore between April to June this year, which is Taka 13,435 crore more than the same period of the previous year.

The state-owned banks provided higher amount of loans compared to private ones as the state-owned banks distributed 33.33 percent of the total loans alone. Specialized banks clinched second position with 19.15 percent while PCBs 18.77 percent. Talking to BSS, an official of the Bangladesh Bank said, the central bank has introduced a refinancing project and as part of that a number of funds has so far been created and the interest rate is only five percent.

Acting managing director of SME Foundation Dr Momtaj Uddin Ahmed told BSS that the foundation is gradually becoming as a major financier for small and medium ventures.

The foundation already has started negotiations with Bangladesh Bank to get a share of Taka 3.0 billion fund, offered by Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the country’s SMEs.

Besides, negotiation is underway with leading international donor agencies, SME foundation sources said.

According to the bureau of statistics data released in 2006, there are nearly 100,000 SMEs in the country and 500,000 cottage industries employing about 70 per cent of total industrial labour forces. The SMEs contribution to the GDP is around 25 per cent, the foundation claimed.

Govt is keen to remove hurdles for SME

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Govt is keen to remove hurdles for SME
ECONOMIC REPORTER

SME Foundation chairperson Aftab ul Islam yesterday said that the present government is keen to remove the hurdles faced by the entrepreneurs of the small and medium  enterprises.

While discussing with a 21 member delegation headed by Ms Monowara Hakim Ali, president of the Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CWCCI) at the SME Foundation office, Aftab ul Islam said,  SME Foundation will do everything possible for the empowerment of the women entrepreneurs. Managing Director of SME Foundation Dr. Momtaz Uddin Ahmed was also present on the occasion.

SME Foundation of Bangladesh would fast-track a credit-wholesaling programme to give financial support to small entrepreneurs, he told the CWCCI delegation adding that SME Foundation has been working to devise ways and means so that SMEs could have easy access to credit.

Professor Momtaz Uddin Ahmed, managing director of the foundation said that developed countries achieved their economic growth through developing their SME sector.

Among others, CWCCI leaders; Gulshan Ara, Khaleda Akhtar, Nasreen Sultana, Tanzima Ali Rupa, Manjulika Chakma, Nazma Akhtar, Jubaira Baki, kazi Tuhina Akhtar, Roslin Penheiro, Savina Ekram Shiraji, Jahan Ara Abedin, Nadira Begam, Manjulika Chakma were also present in the discussion.

NBL inaugurates 2nd SME service centre at Faridpur

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/13/news0381.htm

NBL inaugurates 2nd SME service centre at Faridpur

Business Report

The 2nd SME Service Centre of National Bank Ltd has been inaugurated at Kanaipurbazar, Faridpur recently.

Md. Abdur Rahman Sarker, Managing Director of the bank formally inaugurated the SME Centre as chief guest.

On the occasion a discussion meeting was held.

The Managing Director Md. Abdur Rahman Sarker in his inaugural speech said that NBL will put remarkable contribution in the business development of Kanaipurbazar area like other branches of the bank.

He also said that the employment opportunities would be increased if the common people of Kanaipurbazar get the finance to set up small and medium enterprises with the support of the banks.

Md. Sirajul Islam, Senior Vice President and Regional Head of Khulna Region of the bank mentioned in his speech, the banking network of NBL has further been extended in the Faridpur.

Cultivation of palm trees can help change economy

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/10/05/80730.html

Cultivation of palm trees can help change economy

RANGPUR, Oct 4 (BSS): Speakers at a seminar here Saturday said large-scale cultivation of palm trees could meet the demand for edible oil and earn huge foreign currencies.

The palm trees can be planted along the roadsides and other places throughout the country without affecting the traditional arable crops to get unimaginable profits maintaining a balanced environment, they said.

The seminar titled ‘Prospects of palm farming in Bangladesh and our roles’ was organised by Green Bangladesh Ltd (GBL), a subsidiary organisation of Sahaba Group for Rajshahi Division, at the Baro Rangpur Keramotia Kamil Madrasa.

Chaired by Alhaj Shamsul Azam, the seminar was attended by Chairman of the GBL Mohammad Zia Uddin Moral as the chief guest while Deputy Managing Director of the GBL Abdullah Al Kafi, Chief Coordinators for Dhaka Nurul Islam and Mosharraf Hossain from Dinajpur were present as the special guests.

GBL officials Abdul Matin and Abu Syed Mohammad Hamid of Rangpur, Rabiul Islam of Kurigram, palm farmers Abdul Matin, Abdul Mazid, Azgar Ali, Abdus Sattar, Nazmur Rahman, Mozaffar Hossain, Shamsuddoha, Lutfar Rahman, Abul Hossain and union member Afzal Hossain, addressed it.

Besides, GBL officials of different northern districts, palm farmers and public representatives took part in the seminar.

The speakers said the slogan of ‘Liquid gold of green trees shall change whole Bangladesh’ would come true within the next few years if proper attention and importance were given to palm tree plantation under government, private and personal initiatives.

The soil and the climatic condition are very much favourable for palm farming throughout the country and its massive cultivation would accelerate the process of poverty alleviation in rural Bangladesh and build a developed digital Bangladesh, they said.

SME Foundation mulls setting up industrial park

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SME Foundation mulls setting up industrial park
Raising competitiveness is the goal
Sayeda Akter

The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Foundation is set to conduct a feasibility study from October on establishing a ‘co-located cluster industrial park’ for light engineering, plastic and electronic factories.

The SMEF signed a cooperation agreement with International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank’s lending arm, on September 6 to jointly run the feasibility test. They also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last month.

“The objective of this project is to help establish an SME Industrial Park for light engineering, plastic and electrical engineering sub-sector,” said Ahmed Ali Shah, deputy general manager of the SME Foundation.

The study includes market assessment, demand forecast, planning and financial and economic viability modelling.

“A cluster industrial park will accommodate the three homogenous industries at the same location, which will help tap potentials of these sectors,” he said.

SMEF initially selected Keraniganj to set up the industrial park, but the location will be finalised after site assessment is completed by May 2010.

“IFC will conduct studies on a few other sites and the best location will be chosen for the co-located cluster industrial park,” said Shah.

IFC will provide $5,00,000 to conduct the study, while SMEF would contribute $50,000, he said.

IFC will also fund workshops and roundtables to build capacity of the stakeholders.

Shah also said IFC is keen to assist SMEF in completing the project.

Earlier, the country’s light engineering sub-sector planned to set up an exclusive private industrial zone in Dhaka to tap the potential of the emerging business.

Presently, there are around 50,000 light engineering and 5,000 plastic and electronic factories across the country.

Abdur Razzaque, president of Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association (BEIOA) said the industrial park will help increase the sectors’ production capacity and competitiveness.

“We have long demanded setting up of an exclusive private industrial zone for the light engineering and other locally developed product sectors, which will help meet local demand and export,” he said. Countries like Japan and India have developed their SMEs through such projects.

sayeda@thedailystar.net

Crocs eye forex

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Crocs eye forex
Local farm all set for maiden export

Employees of Reptile Farm Ltd in Mymensingh are collecting crocodile eggs. Right, croc offspring hatched in captivity will soon reach their adulthood and be ready for export.Photo: STAR

Aminul Islam, Mymensingh

Four years after its inception, the country’s first commercial reptile farm–The Reptiles Farm Ltd–in Mymensingh is now all set to make its first export of crocodiles.

The Bhaluka-based farm’s Managing Director Mushtaq Ahmed told The Daily Star that they are at the final stage of signing deals with a few importers in France, Germany, Italy and Japan. They are expecting to export around 100 crocodiles aged over two years by November this year.

“Export of each crocodile will fetch us Tk 75,000 and we will get a reasonable profit from the first export,” Mushtaq said hoping that his farm would earn up to Tk 35 crore from crocodile exports by 2015.

Mushtaq and another entrepreneur Mesbahul Hoque started working on crocodile farming in 2002 but now it has become a viable business, said Mushtaq.

The two entrepreneurs jointly launched the farm investing Tk 5 crore with 49 percent financial support from the Equity and Entrepreneur Fund (EEF) of the government in the form of interest-free loan.

Established at Hatibeer of Bhaluka upazila in Mymensingh, The Reptiles Farm Ltd got approval from the Forest and Environment Ministry on May 5, 2004. First they imported 75 salt-water crocodiles from Malaysia on December 23, 2004 at a cost of Tk 1.25 crore. During the shipment, one crocodile had died while six more died after reaching the farm.

The number of crocodiles was 68, including 55 females. The crocodiles were between 15 to 28 years of age then.

During the last four years the farm expanded. The farm’s crocodiles produced 140 hatchlings in 2007 and 240 last year. Some 400 hatchlings are expected from some 550 eggs laid this year.

“We are waiting for the grand day when our venture bears fruit and our hard labour and investment pays off,” said the farm’s Chairman Mesbahul Hoque.

Crocodiles are being cultivated commercially in 40 countries of the world including China, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, farm sources said. They also said the flesh of crocodile is consumed widely in Australia, Japan, Singapore, China and America. One kilogram of crocodile meat is sold between $7-8 on the international market, the sources added.

Fashionable items made of crocodile hide have great demand. World celebrities have good eyes for such goods and a good quality bag made of crocodile hide is sold between $50,000 and $55,000, farm sources said. Celebrities even wait for two to three years to get the delivery of such a bag.

Crocodile teeth, hide and other by-products are used for making garlands, ornaments of different kinds and small showpieces, which enjoy high demand in local and international market, said farm sources.

Charcoal made from crocodile bones is used for preparing perfume.

Officials of Reptiles Farm Ltd said the government is now formulating a Crocodile Farming Guidelines for new entrepreneurs interested in investing in this sector. Recently, a workshop was arranged by the Forest Department on this issue to accommodate views of stakeholders, farm sources said.

In Pabna, hand embroidery picks up pace

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In Pabna, hand embroidery picks up pace

Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu, Pabna

At her young age, Shahana Khatun learnt how to do intricate hand embroidery on saris at home from her father.

Shahana, an eighth grader, goes to work after school and embroiders saris into the evening. She has been working there over the last two years, earning Tk 300-Tk 1,500 per sari depending on designs.

She is one of the many working on colourful saris in a small handicrafts factory near her home on Nazimuddin Road in Ishwardi upazila in Pabna.

Most of the workers are young women and children engaged in hand embroidery, commonly known as karchupi shilpo. There are at least 400 to 500 small handicraft factories in the village of Fateh Mohammadpur in Ishwardi.

The workers are passing busy days as Eid-Ul-Fitr is around the corner. Demand for quality hand-embroidered saris is at an all-time high — because of the key festival of the year.

The trade has soared to its popularity for the past 10 years. The area was once well known as the ‘Benarasi village’ in the district as it produced luxury fabrics like Benarasi and Katan.

When the Benarasi industry had faced challenges, a large number of workers engaged in the sector migrated to Dhaka and other places in search of work.

But Benarasi workers of Ishwardi upazila learnt the art of hand embroidery to stay afloat. As the area was known for expensive and intricate handwork, the trade rapidly kicked off.

“Women used to undertake handwork on a small scale at their homes, by taking private orders for pieces. But now, a majority of the women in the village are engaged in hand embroidery,” Badal Benarasi, now a hand-embroidery entrepreneur, told The Daily Star yesterday.

In anticipation of Eid, at least 200 to 300 pieces of hand-embroidered sari are produced a day in the 400 to 500 factories in the area.

“I have 40 workers at my factory with an abundant number of work orders. Prior to Ramadan, we received 25 to 30 orders a week. But now we get over 50 orders a week. Demand has risen as the saris we produce are better in quality than Indian peers,” Badal said.

He also said there are 10 to 12 large hand-embroidery factories in this village, which is the largest zone in the northern region of the country.

Workers said they do handwork on katan, georgette, tissue material and saris of other fabrics using beads, stones, thread and sequins.

“Depending on designs, we usually need 5-10 days to complete work on a single sari, but we are now trying to speed up work to meet Eid demand,” said Md Rubel, an embroidery worker.

“Even three or four workers are deployed on each sari to complete the work faster,” he added.

Workers said the cost of embroidery on a sari will range between Tk 700 and Tk 7,000, depending on designs, while the end piece will be sold at Tk 2,000-Tk 15,000.

One district one product project on the move

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One district one product project on the move
Kawsar Khan

The government has primarily selected three products to develop under a “one district one product (ODOP)” scheme, which was chalked out to diversify the country’s export basket.

Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) of the government has selected agarwood of Moulvibazar, clay tiles of Satkhira, and rubber of Chittagong Hill Tracts to develop for attaining global standards and enhancing productivity.

The concept of ODOP was developed from the “One Village One Product” movement of Japan launched in 1989, which became successful and later was followed by a number of countries across the world.

“We have already made a plan, which is now awaiting approval of the commerce ministry, to develop these products,” said Shahab Ullah, vice chairman of EPB.

EPB officials said there is a huge demand for these products in the global market and Bangladesh has a potential to cater to the demand.

But now the country is failing to tap the potential because of poor expertise and absence of proper communication with the export market.

The EPB officials said the clay tiles of Satkhira have a huge demand in the European market but the local artisans are not capable enough for maintaining international standards.

In this context, EPB plans to assign consultants who would make the local artisans aware of the quality and train them in line with the export market requirements.

About 60 percent tiles break while burning if the clay for the tiles is not properly selected.

The experts will identify which type of clay is ideal for producing tiles, said an EPB official.

EPB has also found a huge demand for perfumes made from agarwood but the problems are inadequate trees and the indigenous production method.

“In the present method farmers hammer nail in agar trees, which is a very lengthy process. We have come to know about a kit being used instead of nail, which we would try to give to the farmers,” said the EPB official.

Experts in the field will also conduct research to enhance production of such perfume.

The ODOP project will also take initiatives to improve the quality of rubber produced in the country.

The EPB officials said the project was undertaken in the backdrop of a huge flow of rural population for jobs to the urban areas where most of the industrial units are located.

The project aims at creating employment opportunities locally through enhancing skill of the local artisans.

Another aim of the project is to reduce the country’s export vulnerability since only six major export items now account for 90 percent of the country’s total export earning.

For exporting garment products, manufacturers need to import a huge amount of raw materials, while items to be developed under ODOP project will be made of hundred percent local products, the EPB officials said.

“At first we had selected 14 products to develop under the project but the government approved three items since it could be burdensome to deal with many products at a time,” said EPB Director (Commodities) Omar Faruq.

kawsar@thedailystar.net

Jhenidah jeweller holds out hope

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Jhenidah jeweller holds out hope

Imitation ornaments are on display at a showroom of Milon City Gold Ltd in Jhenidah. The local jewellery maker has boosted its sales by offering quality products for low prices. The company has grown into an employer of about 650 workers in three factories that produce around 4,000 pairs of jewellery a day. Photo: STAR

Azibor Rahman, Jhenidah

A jewellery maker, based in Jhenidah, has widened its market reach by offering low-priced but quality ornaments.

Located in Moheshpur upazila in the district, Milon City Gold Ltd produces an array of imitation ornaments such as earrings, bangles, bracelets, necklaces and chains.

Earrings priced at only Tk 50 to Tk 60 a pair have become a hit among women. Customers can also electroplate their old imitation ornaments only for Tk 20 to Tk 30.

“We are planning to export the ornaments soon,” Rashedunnabi Milon, managing director of Milon City Gold, told The Daily Star.

Milon’s father Rahim Uddin started the jewellery business at Moheshpur Bazaar in 1974. After his father’s death, Milon took the reins of the company in 2003 when the prices of gold were high.

He experienced the first signs of profit in 2004 — a year for a turnaround. Milon said his daily sales turnover reaches as high as Tk 2 lakh.

The company has grown into an employer of about 650 workers in three factories that produce around 4,000 pairs of jewellery a day.

Apart from the factories, the company has two showrooms — one in Moheshpur town and the other in Dhaka.

Dipali Rani, a customer from Kaliganj, said she had come here to buy the ornaments as their colour lasts long.

Abed Ali, a wholesaler from Kushtia, said the items produced by Milon City Gold cost less than Indian peers.

“People from all walks of life use these imitation ornaments,” Ali said.

Indian ornaments dominated the local market before the arrival of Milon City Gold.

The pricey Indian ornaments are losing out to the local company. A pair of Indian earrings costs around Tk 200 to Tk 250 — much higher than the local ones.

But Milon is not free from worries. He said the local ornaments are made manually. On the other hand, Indian companies are mass-producing the ornaments by machine in a short spell of time.

Local companies like Milon City Gold are reluctant to set up ornament-making machinery as they suffer nagging power outages.

“Milon City Gold is our pride. We will do our best to ensure adequate electricity to help them set up automated machines,” Shafiqul Azam Khan, a lawmaker from Jhenidah-3, told The Daily Star.

Govt to go for pearl culture

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Govt to go for pearl culture
Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) has planned to begin a five-year project for pearl culture in the country, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas told parliament yesterday.

He said if the project is approved it will be possible to produce pearls on commercial basis.

In reply to a query of Awami League lawmaker, Apu Ukil, the minister in a scripted answer said the BFRI had conducted a research on the culture of pearls in sweet water in 1999 on special interest of the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

“The outcome of the research is encouraging. Scientists of the institute have already gathered experience in pearl culture,” Biswas said.

Referring to the result of the research, the minister said that a maximum of 12 pearls could be produced from an oyster. But the pearl in our country is small in size due to the size of oyster.

Deal inked on pre-feasibility of SME park

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/sep/07/busi.html#6

Deal inked on pre-feasibility of SME park
Bdnews24.com . Dhaka

The Small and Medium Enterprises Foundation has signed an agreement with International Finance Corporation to assess the pre-feasibility of setting up an industrial park comprising a cluster of small and medium industries.

The agreement was signed at the SME Foundation office at Karwan Bazaar on Sunday.

Syed Akhter Mahmud, senior programme manager, IFC-BICF and Mamtajuddin Ahmed, managing director, SME, signed the agreement.

‘Our aim is to bring in plastics, light engineering, electronics and electrical industries under one umbrella since they are so akin to one another. If they are so set up that they happen to be physically close to one another, these industries will enjoy enhanced technical and infrastructural benefits, offering products at reasonably more affordable prices,’ remarked Mamtazuddin Ahmed at the protocol signing ceremony.

Most of the existing light engineering workshops are currently scattered in Dholai Khal area in Old Dhaka, who have of late been demanding establishment of an industrial park to enable all the above mentioned workshops and plants can be clustered together conveniently.

SME and IFC had signed an MoU to this effect in January.

Islami Bank opens SME Service Centre at Muktagachha

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Islami Bank opens SME Service Centre at Muktagachha

Islami Bank Board of Directors Vice-chairman Zainul Abedin inaugurating as the chief guest the 12th SME Service Centre of the bank at Muktagachha in Mymensingh district.

FE Report

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) Sunday opened its 12th SME Service Centre at Muktagachha in Mymensingh district, said a press release.

IBBL Board of Directors Vice-chairman Zainul Abedin inaugurated the SME Service Centre as the chief guest.

Muktagachha Upazila chairman Badar Uddin Ahmed and local municipality Mayor Mansurur Rahman Khan were present as the special guests on the occasion.

Chaired by IBBL Managing Director M Fariduddin Ahmad, the inaugural ceremony was addressed, among others, by its Shari’ah Council member Hasan Mohammad Moinuddin, Senior Vice-president and head of Mymensingh Zone Md Nazrul Islam Khan and In-charge of the SME Service Centre Md Ruhul Amin.

The IBBL has been working for the last 26 years to reach the service of Islamic Banking to the doorsteps of the people of the country, Mr Abedin said.

Demand for opening branches of the bank is increasing from all corners of the country, though the IBBL has already opened branches in all the 64 districts, he said.

“We are trying to flourish small and medium industries by opening SME service centres in those areas, where there is not any branch of the bank yet”, he added.

The IBBL managing director said the bank had continued the leading position in deposit, investment, import, export and remittance.

He called upon the IBBL employees to develop the standard of customer service to make the position of the bank firmer.

Jute bag exports rise as shopping goes eco-correct

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Jute bag exports rise as shopping goes eco-correct

Kawsar Khan

Eco-concerns drive demand for biodegradable bags on the global market, giving rise to the exports of shopping jute bags from Bangladesh.

Jute goods makers export around 100,000 shopping bags a month on average to different countries. They hope scope for more shipments will widen next year, as some European countries are set to ban polythene bags in 2010.

“In our products line, shopping jute bags are the most popular among importers as European and American consumers are opting for environment-friendly bags which can be used repeatedly,” said Milton Suranjit Ratna, a senior officer of Corr-The Jute Works, the handicraft marketing and exporting trust of Caritas Bangladesh.

Corr-The Jute Works exported over 600,000 jute bags in 2008 mainly to Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea, and France.

Creation Private Limited, a jute goods maker, exports around 50,000 shopping bags to those destinations a month.

Two years ago, the number of jute bags exported by Bangladesh would not exceed 100,000 annually, said the sector people.

A global initiative for banning environment-unfriendly shopping bags and declaring the year 2009 by the United Nations as International Year of Natural Fibres has fuelled demand for jute bags.

According to media reports, France and Germany will ban the use of non-biodegradable polythene bags next year. Also, the US is looking for a viable alternative to polythene bags.

San Francisco has completely banned plastic bags. Los Angeles will do so in 2010. Also, Washington, D.C.’s city council is set to vote on a five-cent-a-bag tax later this month.

Now the United States uses an estimated 90 billion thin bags a year, with most used to handle produce and groceries.

Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, has recently called for a ban on polythene bags and said: “Single-use plastic bags which choke marine life should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere. There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere.”

The global context has made a multi-billion dollar global shopping bag market, opening up a huge opportunity for the country’s golden fibre.

On the potential of jute bag exports from Bangladesh, the sector people viewed that non-perishable polythene bags will go out of market in the years to come, driving demand for Bangladeshi jute bags.

On the other hand, more and more chain shops around the world are phasing out the use of polythene bags in their shops and using bio-friendly natural fibre bags instead.

Ratna said only the UK-based retail chain Tesco requires around 1 million shopping bags — made of natural fibre — a month that it now buys from India.

“Tesco had approached us to buy bags but we could not take their order as our bags were costlier than in India,” said Rashidul Karim Munna, managing director of Creation Private Limited.

Munna said local bag makers buy jute fabric from the domestic market at higher prices than what foreign importers pay for the same fabric from Bangladesh — a setback that makes the local industry less competitive than its rival in India, the main importer of jute fabric.

“When we buy jute fabric, the jute mills add the money of export incentive to the cost of fabric as they don’t get any incentive when they sell to us,” Munna said.

“Unlike in India, jute bag makers in Bangladesh do not get export incentive,” he said.

“It is very sad that even after buying raw materials from Bangladesh, India can sell shopping bags at lower prices,” he said. A shopping bag sells at $1.

Despite having all the difficulties, however, increasing orders are pushing bag manufacturers to expand their capacity.

“Due to the increased demand we will set up a new bag manufacturing unit in Tongi, which will go into operation next month,” said Bertha Gity Baroi, acting director of Corr-The Jute Works.

The sector people believe Bangladesh has every chance to strengthen its foothold in the billion-dollar shopping bag market.

“We could easily double our production and exports if we got proper government support,” an official of Corr-The Jute Works which has long been reputed for exporting handicraft products.

kawsar@thedailystar.net

Handicrafts industry posts 21pc growth in 10 months

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/06/26/71058.html

Handicrafts industry posts 21pc growth in 10 months

Monira Begum Munni

The country’s handicrafts industry registered a 21 per cent export growth in the first ten months of 2008-09 fiscal year over that of the corresponding period of 2007-08 fiscal.

During July-April period of FY 2008-09, the earnings from the sector stood at US$ 5.43 million while it was US$ 4.50 million for the same period in FY2007-08.

According to the statistics released by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) recently the earnings from the sector in the first ten months of the fiscal year is already 11.73 per cent up from the target of US$ 4.86 million.

The handicraft goods included items made from quality cloth, leather, paper, plastic and jute. These specialised products earned world recognition, Banglacraft secretary Md Shahjalal told the FE.

Giving his opinion on the impressive growth achieved, Md. Shahjalal said “Our craftsmen have amalgamated their skills with local culture reflecting tradition. This has made our products special and attracted foreign buyers.” Despite a robust performance the sector is being ignored by the government, claimed the leaders of Bangladesh Handicrafts Manufacturers and Exporters Association popularly known as Banglacraft.

“We need the government’s help for organising training on design, fashion and technology,” Banglacraft secretary said. Training institutes needs to be set up to improve the designs and quality of handicrafts, he added. Recently Banglacraft arranged a five-day long training on “Multipurpose Jute Products: Production and Distribution Management,” recently. The training programme was funded by SME Foundation.

Farming of hybrid grass proves profitable

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/jun/24/home.html#1

Farming of hybrid grass proves profitable
Our Correspondent . Patuakhali

THE people in Patuakhali char (shoal) areas have found farming of Australian Sweet Jumbo variety grass profitable that might help them largely to reduce poverty.

The Australian hybrid grass is mainly cultivated in the sandy char areas of Agunmukha, Ramnabad, Kajol and Tetulia rivers.

Farming of the grass has already made a good number of people economically self-reliant side by side getting increased milk production and fattening their own cattle in the poverty-ridden shoal areas.

Five non-government organisations under the government’s ongoing Char Livelihood Programme have been providing support to the char people for farming of the grass in seven upazilas of the district since 2008.

Taking lessons from the success last year, the NGOs took up a massive programme for farming of the hybrid grass on 1,000 acres of land this season under the CLP to reduce poverty in the disaster-prone char areas.

Enterprise Supervisor of Patuakhali Rural Development Service Md Mostafijur Rahman, who is in-charge of the grass farming programme in Galachipa, Dashmina and Bauphal upazilas and its Market Development Officer for Bauphal upazila, Md Mokhlesur Rahman, informed New Age about the success.

The two PRDS officials, who are directly involved in expansion of the grass farming programme of the CLP, told the New Age that they started the farming last year with a view to reducing poverty through promoting animal husbandry.

The Pacific Seed Company first imported seeds of the grass from Australia and the CLP authorities arranged distribution of the same among the char people through the district level seed distributors and the NGOs last year.

Each pack of 300 gram seeds costs Tk 85 that can be sowed on 10 decimals of land and per acre production cost of the grass is Tk 4,500 to 5,000.

The first harvest can be got after one month of sowing seeds and there might be a total of eight harvests from the same land annually.

A farmer can earn a net profit of around Tk 50,000 per acre annually after meeting the demand for his own cattle more or less.

Farmer Shahjahan Ali, 35, of Char Montaj under Galachipa upazila, told this correspondent that he sowed his 17 decimals of land with Sweet Jumbo Grass seeds three months ago.

After meeting the total fodder demand for his seven cows he sold grass of Tk 17,000 in two harvests.

Faridul Islam, 35, of village Dhankhali under Kalapara upazila, Abdul Baten, 45, of Char Borhan under Dashmina upazila, and Saidur Rahman, 38, of Char Wadel village in Bauphal upazila, said that they cultivated the grass on some 20 decimals of land each.

They sold grass of around Tk 18,000 each after meeting own demand for seven to eight cows during the past two months and were expecting more profit in the next harvests.

Mintu Mian, 40, of village Alipura under Dashmina upazila, sold grass of Tk 18,000 from his 50 decimals of land after feeding his own eight cows during the same period.