Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon the private entrepreneurs to go for more processed fish export, including shrimp, with value addition alongside exporting Halal meat and other items to grab the greater international market.
“We’ve a great scope for exporting processed fish across the globe hygienically with value addition and thus grab the two markets abroad –regular one and that of expatriate Bangladeshis — and this will also generate more income and reduce the risk,” she said.Hasina made the remarks at a meeting with the officials of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock as well as its different subordinate bodies at the ministry’s conference room during her first visit to it after assuming office for the second successive time.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Sayedul Haque and Acting Ministry Secretary Dr Selina Afroza were, among others, present on the occasion.
Apart from the export of different fish varieties including shrimp, the Prime Minister said there are also huge potentials for the country for farming crabs, frogs, crocodiles, snails and thus exporting their meats and skins through processing.
Noting that there is a huge demand for Halal meat in Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, as they usually import such meats from Brazil and France, Hasina said, “Bangladesh has a greater scope for producing Halal meats through processing as there are some 80-90 lakh Bangladeshis now live abroad.”
In this connection, she said the expatriates Bangladeshis enjoy the Bangladeshi fish varieties despite various problems, and the Bangladeshi exporters should utilise that advantage.
Mentioning that once there were many incidents of misuse of funds in various schemes in this ministry, the Prime Minister when her government assumed office, it gave due importance to this end as the ministry has very important role to play in meeting the nutrition demand of people as well as balanced diet.
She also stressed the need for more research in this connection. In this connection, Hasina said the contribution of the fisheries and livestock sector to the Gross National Income is 8 percent while almost 90 percent of animal protein comes from this fisheries and livestock sub-sector.
The Prime Minister said the frozen fish, other fish varieties and fish-processed items are now being exported to countries like the EU, the USA, the UK, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and some other developed countries, while many newer markets are being created due to the economic advancement.
Listing various steps of her government to boost production of national fish Hilsa’, the Prime Minister directed the ministry officials to take steps in ensuring alternate employments for those fishermen apart from providing them with rice under VGF programme to keep them away from ‘Jatka’ catching.
About the gain of vast sea areas following the maritime boundary verdict over Myanmar through the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), Hasina said a scope has now been created to explore the vast sea resources, including the fisheries, and underscored the need for deep sea fishing.
The Prime Minister also underlined the need for processing and exporting milk-based items like cheese, ghee, encouraging char areas people in farming buffalos to set up dairy farm as well as exploring newer items of various fisheries and livestock for their processing, marketing and exporting.
About the use of formalin in food-items, she said that drives are on for which the common people now can know the bad effects of this chemical adding that the items at super shops should also maintain qualitative standards.
Hasina said her government did not assume office to make its own fortunes, rather to the change the lot of the common people. “It’s our duty to build the country as a developed one as early as possible and we’ll try our best to make much work in this five-year term.” – UNB
