The government and exporters of Bangladesh have initiated a joint move to help boost frozen fish export to Russian market following a slowdown in its shipment to the potential market.
As part of the move, a five-member expert team will leave Dhaka for Moscow on Sunday morning to discuss the issue of required standard of frozen fish. They will also take part in a training session with their Russian counterparts, said officials.
The team comprising five microbiologists from fisheries department and shrimp exporting firms will present Bangladesh’s quality standard to the Russian authorities concerned, said a member of the delegation.
Russia, one of the potential markets, imports a very insignificant quantity of frozen shrimp from Bangladesh comparing to their demand due to some factors including quality aspects, he said.
“But the market is very big. If we can show our quality standard properly and gather experience from the country, we will be able to satisfy the exporters. And it will help boost the shipment basket,” said the microbiologist preferring anonymity.
Bangladesh exports around 7 per cent of its total shrimp to Russia, according to Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA).
Russia imposed a temporary restriction early 2010 as they change their quality requirements. But it lifted the ban after one year.
BFFEA president SM Amzad Hossain said sometimes Russian exporters put embargo on their shipment, showing an excuse that their quality is not up to the mark.
“Such visit will help make the exporters confident about our products,” he said. “If we tap the market properly, export earnings will increase by several times a year as Russia is a big country.”
The BFFEA president, however, said they are now facing hard times as the prices of frozen shrimps fell at least 45-50 per cent due to falling rates of euro and rubble against dollar.
Besides, he said, they are striving to compete with other exporting countries which are supplying low priced vannamei shrimp in the world market.
According to them, nearly 90 per cent of their products are shrimp while around 75 per cent of their products are exported to Europe.
There are 100 frozen fish exporters under BFFEA. Of them, seven exporters have got permission to ship their products to Russia.
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed that Bangladesh exported frozen fish worth US$ 46.43 million against the target of US$ 49.68 million during the July-May period of the fiscal year (FY) 2014-15.
Besides, shipment declined by more than 6 per cent in the nine months of FY 2014-15 compared to the corresponding period of the previous FY.
The sector’s export earnings amounted to US$ 49.76 million during the same period of FY 2013-14.
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