Due to lack of proper government support, vegetable exports from Bangladesh have declined drastically in the recent months. The government set a US$71.78 million vegetables export target for the first four months July to October of the current fiscal year.
Bangladesh would be able to export plenty of fresh vegetables to the global market, but scarcity of cargo space capacity, flight delays, higher cargo charges, lack of proper co-ordination between the exporters and the importers are responsible for the major problems behind declining the export volume in the recent months.
Bangladesh vegetable exporters are demanding reduced cargo rates to the EU and Middle-Eastern countries because the demand of vegetables is gradually increasing in the international market.
Dailyindustry.news reports on industry insiders saying that exporters of perishable goods now pay between US$4.0 and $4.5 for carrying a kilogram of vegetables from Dhaka to London, more than twice the freight of $1.5 and $1.7 in pre-pandemic period.
Vegetable exporters from Bangladesh fear that they may lose the Middle Eastern market to Indian exporters. However, the exporters are still paying higher air fare which is hindering the export growth, said Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters Association general secretary Mohammad Monsur.
Bangladesh exports more than 70 varieties of vegetables to 53 countries like Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the UK.
