Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) on Tuesday protested the government’s recent decision to make it mandatory to use jute bags for packaging poultry and fish feed products.
The feed makers in a press statement claimed that using jute bags for packaging would decrease the quality of the products as well as increase the price.
They said, there are no such law in the world as it is not possible to protect the standard of the feed in jute bags.
The products get rotten very quickly and as a result they become inappropriate for using as meal for fish or poultry, said a FIAB press release asking for revoking the decision.
FIAB President Moshiur Rahman in the statement said, the products can be preserved for highest 10 days if packaged in jute bags due to high humidity of the country’s air. Getting exposed in air, the products become toxic being infected with fungus.
When the private sector is thinking about exporting poultry and fish feed through developing the standard, such decision will affect the progress of the industry, he claimed.
Appreciating the government’s efforts for the conservation of the nature, General Secretary of FIAB Ahsanuzzaman said, feed makers have been using biodegradable polypropylene plastic (PP) woven bags for the packaging following government’s policy.
“One PP woven bag with 50kg holding capacity costs only Tk 15 to 20 whereas one jute bag costs about Tk 50 to 60”, he said adding that using jute bags for packaging would increase the cost of each bag by Tk 35 to 40.
He further claimed that both poultry farmers and consumers will be affected because of the price hike.
source:UNB
