A shipment of lychees exported from Dinajpur, Bangladesh, to France has passed all the lab tests required for exporting agricultural products to the EU member countries. According to Commerce Ministry officials, the 300-kg shipment was sent from Dinajpur to Paris on a trial basis on 8 June. The lychees were sold in different cities across France including Paris as they met the sanitary and phytosanitary standards and other conditions of the EU.
Despite getting duty-free facilities for exporting all goods except arms to the EU member countries, Bangladesh has been mainly exporting ready-made garments along with only a small number of other products as it has not been able to ensure compliance and product quality.
Even processed agri-foods from Bangladesh often fail to pass Europe's rigorous laboratory tests. The EU has also banned Bangladesh's export of various types of agricultural products and processed food due to the presence of harmful ingredients in the products.
Monjurul Islam, advisor to the Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters' Association, stated that this year, Bangladesh has exported about 75 tons of lychee to different countries. The export volume can reach 150 tons by the end of the season.
Source: tbsnews.net