Badrul Ahsan :
Potato exports have plunged significantly in the just concluded fiscal year (FY’16) mainly due to embargo by Russian Federation and lack of new markets, exporters said.
A lower global price in peak exporting season was also reasons behind the fall, they added.
Export declined by 59 per cent in FY’16 than that of FY’15, according to the Bangladesh Potato Exporters Association (BPEA).
The decline is 79 per cent in FY’16 compared to that of income in FY’14.
The Bangladeshi potato exporters made shipment of US $ 34 million in FY’14, US $ 19.44 million in FY’15 and expected to cash only $7.2 million by the end of FY’16.
Chittagong based importer and proprietor of Jahan Trading Fazal Karim told The New Nation that both value and volume have declined this fiscal year.
He said prices of potato witnessed a fall in the global market in peak exporting season between September and November which put impact to the overall export figure.
He said the Russian Federation imposed a ban on Bangladeshi potato on May 2015, which is seen as main cause of the plunge.
“Government policy makers couldn’t ensure us about opening of the big Russian market yet”, he said.
He said 40,500 tonnes of potato have been exported to Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Oman and Nepal this fiscal year.
Syed Nazrul Islam Faruque, organizing secretary of BPEA said shipment was an all time high 0.132 million tonnes in FY’14 when Russia alone imported more than 0.03 million tonnes.
He said potato exporters have appropriated with all phytosanitery requirements prescribed by the quarantine wing of the agriculture ministry.
The diplomatic approaches should be enhanced to get back the Russian market, he said.
Md Habibur Rahman Ranu, Rangpur based exporter told The New Nation that Nepal has emerged as a major destination for Bangladeshi potato this year.
He said potatoes are sending through the Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh using Indian soil to reach Nepalese port Kakarvita.
He said more than 15,000 tonnes of potato has been sent by local exporters to the Himalayan nation between October and May of the current FY.
Ranu said there is also a demand for Bangladeshi potato in Bhutan, which could be explored.
Dr Azizur Rahman, a potato market expert said that the country has 2.0 million tonnes of surplus production.
He said the South-East Asia, Middle-East and Western Asia have a huge demand for potato.
Both the government and private sector will have to put high emphasis on research to get more markets.
Bangladesh has recently achieved a notable improvement in phytosanitery measures, he said.
The achievements should be publisised globally to attract buyers, he added.
However, prices of potato in the domestic market of Bangladesh have surged by Tk 8.0 per kg in last few months.
Granola and diamond varieties of potato were selling at Tk 22-25 while local red (desi) varieties were trading at Tk 28-Tk 30 per kg at retail in the capital city.
Bangladesh is the seventh largest potato producer in the world with its 9.2 million tonnes of yield against a local demand of 7.0 million tonnes, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
Potato exports have plunged significantly in the just concluded fiscal year (FY’16) mainly due to embargo by Russian Federation and lack of new markets, exporters said.
A lower global price in peak exporting season was also reasons behind the fall, they added.
Export declined by 59 per cent in FY’16 than that of FY’15, according to the Bangladesh Potato Exporters Association (BPEA).
The decline is 79 per cent in FY’16 compared to that of income in FY’14.
The Bangladeshi potato exporters made shipment of US $ 34 million in FY’14, US $ 19.44 million in FY’15 and expected to cash only $7.2 million by the end of FY’16.
Chittagong based importer and proprietor of Jahan Trading Fazal Karim told The New Nation that both value and volume have declined this fiscal year.
He said prices of potato witnessed a fall in the global market in peak exporting season between September and November which put impact to the overall export figure.
He said the Russian Federation imposed a ban on Bangladeshi potato on May 2015, which is seen as main cause of the plunge.
“Government policy makers couldn’t ensure us about opening of the big Russian market yet”, he said.
He said 40,500 tonnes of potato have been exported to Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Oman and Nepal this fiscal year.
Syed Nazrul Islam Faruque, organizing secretary of BPEA said shipment was an all time high 0.132 million tonnes in FY’14 when Russia alone imported more than 0.03 million tonnes.
He said potato exporters have appropriated with all phytosanitery requirements prescribed by the quarantine wing of the agriculture ministry.
The diplomatic approaches should be enhanced to get back the Russian market, he said.
Md Habibur Rahman Ranu, Rangpur based exporter told The New Nation that Nepal has emerged as a major destination for Bangladeshi potato this year.
He said potatoes are sending through the Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh using Indian soil to reach Nepalese port Kakarvita.
He said more than 15,000 tonnes of potato has been sent by local exporters to the Himalayan nation between October and May of the current FY.
Ranu said there is also a demand for Bangladeshi potato in Bhutan, which could be explored.
Dr Azizur Rahman, a potato market expert said that the country has 2.0 million tonnes of surplus production.
He said the South-East Asia, Middle-East and Western Asia have a huge demand for potato.
Both the government and private sector will have to put high emphasis on research to get more markets.
Bangladesh has recently achieved a notable improvement in phytosanitery measures, he said.
The achievements should be publisised globally to attract buyers, he added.
However, prices of potato in the domestic market of Bangladesh have surged by Tk 8.0 per kg in last few months.
Granola and diamond varieties of potato were selling at Tk 22-25 while local red (desi) varieties were trading at Tk 28-Tk 30 per kg at retail in the capital city.
Bangladesh is the seventh largest potato producer in the world with its 9.2 million tonnes of yield against a local demand of 7.0 million tonnes, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
