Shrimp exports from Khulna are gradually decreasing every year as production in the region has fallen drastically due to various reasons.
Bangladesh as a whole has witnessed a decrease of 3,000 tons of shrimp export each year for the last five years.
According to Fish Inspection and Quality Control (FIQC) Khulna office data, 24,100 tons of Bagda and Galda were exported from the Khulna region in the fiscal year 2021-22 and 19,900 tons in 2022-23.
Reasons for drop in production
The production of shrimps in Khulna has decreased due to various reasons including a decrease in the source of brackish water, viruse attacks, the unwillingness of farmers to adopt modern methods and the non-availability of disease-free fries.
A shrimp farmer in the Daulatpur area of Khulna said there is not sufficient water in water bodies for shrimp production. Along with this, there is always an outbreak of virus attacks, he added.
Moreover, shrimp farmers are also facing losses due to an increase in the price of feed.
Along with climate change and feed issues, local politics is also in play, said farmers.
A farmer, requesting anonymity, said by constructing a project next to his shrimp enclosure, a powerful group is not allowing the necessary water to flow, as a result of which his farm has to be closed due to insufficient water.
Now no farmer wants to do shrimp business after incurring losses, said the shrimp farmer.
When asked about the matter, Khulna Fisheries Officer Jaydev Paul refused to make any comment on the issue.
Recent data
This industry, which has great potential to contribute to the country’s economy, is losing its way gradually.
Statistics from the last five years show that the production of shrimp is continuously decreasing across Bangladesh, affecting overall exports as well.
In the financial year 2016-17, the amount of frozen shrimp export was 39,706 tons which decreased to 36,168 tons in 2017-18. Exports decreased to 33,306 tons in 2018-19 and 30,036 tons in 2019-20, according to the latest data from Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association.
Shrimp production fell to 30, 571 tons in the fiscal year 2021-22.
When asked about the production fall, SOBI Fish Processing Industries Limited General Manager Md Mahbubul Haque Said: “Due to climate change, production has been greatly reduced. This winter was very long; there is still not much rain due to which the black tiger shrimp did not get water, which is why the production is very low this time.”
High prices in local markets
The fall in shrimp production is affecting local markets as well.
In Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar fish market, the price of shrimp is Tk1,000-1,200 per kg depending on the size and category. The price only increases in retail.
A buyer who came to buy Shrimp at Karwan Bazar said: “In my low-income family, buying shrimp is a luxury. I bought 1kg for my family of six, including my children and parents, and it cost me Tk1,200. If the price was lower, I would have bought a little more.”
Comments from an expert
Prof Md Raknuzzaman, chairman of the fisheries department at Dhaka University, said: “Our exported products are being returned from various countries, including Europe, because of some unscrupulous traders. They push jelly into the shrimp and use tiny iron pellets, which are caught by scanning and our contracts are voided.”
Moreover, due to the high price of shrimp fry produced in the country, farmers are collecting fry from outside.
“Shrimp fry produced in quarantine in our country costs 40-45 poisha, while those brought illegally from India cost 10-15 poisha. However, the disease they carry is enough to ruin the shrimp farms of an area.”
However, this expert believes it is possible to bring back the heydays of shrimp farming through government patronage and regulations.
“Since 70-75% of the cost of shrimp farming is the feed, the government should reduce its cost as much as possible and produce sufficient quality fry.”
He also said he does not see a bright future for shrimp farming if farmers at the grassroots do not get incentives.