Demand for Bangladeshi dry food products and vegetables in the global market has increased significantly in recent time as more countries have continued showing growing interests for importing those items.
The increasing demand for Bangladesh’s products has necessitated the government’s focus on the re-orienting role of its expansion of newer global markets and choosing of new products for exports as well.
Bangladesh is currently exporting dry food products and vegetables to 140 countries including EU and Middle-Eastern countries because the demand for those essentials is gradually increasing in the international market.
Besides, various types of agro products including tea, tobacco, flowers, fruits, and spices are also being exported from Bangladesh.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics, the growth was not only the highest in the agricultural sector in 2019-20 but also the fourth highest in the entire export sector.
The EPB website data reads, the estimated target of exporting vegetables and dry goods in the fiscal year 2019-2020 was $13 million. On the other hand, the export of vegetables stood at $ 16.40 million.
It seems the sector has exported 16 percent more than the projected target. In the last year, vegetable exports were worth about 10 million. As a result, the export growth currently stood at 64.53 percent on the whole.
There is a high demand for Bangladeshi goods in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Mauritius, India, Sweden, Hong Kong, Indonesia, France, Kuwait, Bhutan, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.
The Ministry of Commerce has taken initiatives to set up a special laboratory to assist in the export of agricultural and processed food products. An export certificate will be given after checking the quality of the products in this laboratory.
Steps have been taken to further increase the acceptability of Bangladeshi agricultural and food products to buyers in the international market.
In different countries, there is a demand for agricultural products of Bangladesh, especially vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, and processed food products. Millions of expatriate Bangladeshis regularly look for these products. Again, foreigners are also interested in the agricultural products produced from South Asian countries.
In this regard, Commerce Secretary DrMdJafarUddin said that, the Prime Minister has given importance to increasing the export of agricultural products.
"We need to encourage exporting new products in addition to the existing ones. Innovative steps are being taken in addition to the construction of new technology centers, grants to increase factory productivity, cash assistance to improve product quality, and design to meet up international standards,” he said.
Citing the demand for halal food in the Middle East countries, he said “we have taken some strategies, such as expanding the market for regional products.”
Furthermore, he mentioned that in order to increase the export of halal food and clothing initiatives have been taken to bring the entrepreneurs and traders of the importing countries in touch with the entrepreneurs and traders of the country. “We are working with counselors in Bangladesh embassies of different countries to coordinate the work,”
he added.
