Newly added farm products have boosted Bangladesh's agricultural export earnings, including fruits, vegetables, flowers, and cash crops, during the first nine months of the 2012–2013 fiscal year, according to official data.
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) figures show that agricultural exports grew by over 31%, reaching nearly US$371 million between July and March, compared to US$283 million during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Vegetable exports increased by 43% to US$74 million, surpassing the target of US$57 million. In the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, vegetable exports were US$51.5 million. Expatriate Bangladeshis in the Middle East, Far East Asia, the UK, and the U.S. remain the main buyers, while countries such as Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Greece, Ireland, Canada, Malaysia, and Singapore also import Bangladeshi vegetables.
Md Ruhul Amin, president of the Bangladesh Agro-based Product Producers' and Merchants' Association (BAPPMA), said potato exports contributed strongly to the increase. BAPPMA data show that nearly 100,000 tons of potatoes were exported during the nine months of FY2013, compared to 80,000 tons in the same period of FY2012.
Fruit exports grew by 36% to US$55.35 million, up from US$40.8 million in the previous fiscal year. The EPB set a target of US$71.8 million for fruit exports in FY2013. The country exports a variety of fruits, including jackfruit, mango, lemon, guava, litchi, lotkon, Indian olive, blackberry, pomelo, and woodapple.
Officials said export growth was driven by new additions to the export basket. "The Export Promotion Bureau, Hortex Foundation, and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute jointly conducted tests on 'Shelf Life' of green banana and pineapple, which is necessary for sanitary and phytosanitary requirements of the buyers around the world," said Mitul K. Saha, Assistant General Manager of the Horticulture Export Development Foundation (Hortex Foundation).
He said Bangladesh has begun exporting jara lemon and banana after meeting international requirements, and pineapple exports are expected to follow soon. "The sector's export could reach a billion-dollar mark in the next few years if it could manage to increase export of organic farm products," he added.
Saha noted that adopting global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards would help Bangladesh enter mainstream export markets and further boost shipments.
Agricultural exports in FY2012 totaled US$403 million, while the target for FY2013 was set at US$445.68 million.
Source: Financial Express
