Cox’S Bazar Correspondent :
Dried fish powder worth about Tk 400 crore is exported from the district every year, according to field sources.
The Nazirartek dried fish wholesale centre is the highest in Asia in producing dried fish where dried fish worth more than thousand crore taka is produced annually. This production is playing a significant role in meeting the country’s annual demand of dried fish, the sources said.
Besides producing the dried fish, the powder of the dried fish is also produced which is used as poultry and fish feed. The industry is ushering in a great future in the area as the local entrepreneurs earned a good amount of money from the business in the last five years.
The amount of the money earned from the sale of the dried fish is more than Tk 300 crore per season, while in the current season, dried fish powder worth about Tk 100 crore has been exported from Nazirartek so far, said concerned sources.
Besides Nazirartek, dried fish powder worth Tk 100 crore is also being exported annually from Kutubdia, Kutubjom of Moheshkhali, Khuruskool and Choufaldandi of Cox’s Bazar Sadar upazila.
While talking with the concerned people, it was known that the prospect of producing dried fish powder became potent since 2005, and since then the trade flourished and multiplied in dimension with the involvement of more traders. From 2010, it experienced a rising prospect.
President of Nazirartek Dried Fish Powder Traders’ Association Saber Ahmed said, “From 2010, the production of dried fish powder multiplied besides the production of the dried fish. Many traders left the dried fish trade and engaged themselves in the business of dried fish powder. Now, the powder is produced for around nine months in a year.”
He further said, “The dried fish powder is processed from different fishes. For producing the powder, we have to buy per maund of the fish at Tk 700 to 800. More than hundred traders are engaged in producing dried fish powder in at least 60 centres in Nazirartek. The powder is sent to different poultry farms across the country including in Dhaka, Bogra, Narsingdi, Comilla, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Brahmanbaria, Narayanganj and Joypurhat districts.”
A dried fish powder trader at Nazirartek Ahmad Ullah said, “Capital worth about Tk 50 lakh is needed for producing dried fish powder in a mid-level centre and Tk 1 crore for producing the same in a big centre. Around five to 10 labourers work in a centre daily. More than 500 labourers are now working at the local centres. Each of the labourers gets Tk 300 to 600 daily.” Another trader Neyamat Ullah said, “Huge capital is needed for producing dried fish powder, but there is no government loans for this business. The traders have to loan money with huge interest to run their business. As a result, a huge portion of the profit goes to the hands of moneylenders. Sometimes we have to incur losses, too.”
Saber Ahmed said, “Earlier some dishonest traders used toxic medicines for producing dried fish powder. To resist the trend and monitor the market, the local traders formed the association.”
He added, “The dried fish powder produced in Nazirartek is meeting a huge demand of the country’s poultry industry. If we get government help, the industry will expand.”
Dried fish powder worth about Tk 400 crore is exported from the district every year, according to field sources.
The Nazirartek dried fish wholesale centre is the highest in Asia in producing dried fish where dried fish worth more than thousand crore taka is produced annually. This production is playing a significant role in meeting the country’s annual demand of dried fish, the sources said.
Besides producing the dried fish, the powder of the dried fish is also produced which is used as poultry and fish feed. The industry is ushering in a great future in the area as the local entrepreneurs earned a good amount of money from the business in the last five years.
The amount of the money earned from the sale of the dried fish is more than Tk 300 crore per season, while in the current season, dried fish powder worth about Tk 100 crore has been exported from Nazirartek so far, said concerned sources.
Besides Nazirartek, dried fish powder worth Tk 100 crore is also being exported annually from Kutubdia, Kutubjom of Moheshkhali, Khuruskool and Choufaldandi of Cox’s Bazar Sadar upazila.
While talking with the concerned people, it was known that the prospect of producing dried fish powder became potent since 2005, and since then the trade flourished and multiplied in dimension with the involvement of more traders. From 2010, it experienced a rising prospect.
President of Nazirartek Dried Fish Powder Traders’ Association Saber Ahmed said, “From 2010, the production of dried fish powder multiplied besides the production of the dried fish. Many traders left the dried fish trade and engaged themselves in the business of dried fish powder. Now, the powder is produced for around nine months in a year.”
He further said, “The dried fish powder is processed from different fishes. For producing the powder, we have to buy per maund of the fish at Tk 700 to 800. More than hundred traders are engaged in producing dried fish powder in at least 60 centres in Nazirartek. The powder is sent to different poultry farms across the country including in Dhaka, Bogra, Narsingdi, Comilla, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Brahmanbaria, Narayanganj and Joypurhat districts.”
A dried fish powder trader at Nazirartek Ahmad Ullah said, “Capital worth about Tk 50 lakh is needed for producing dried fish powder in a mid-level centre and Tk 1 crore for producing the same in a big centre. Around five to 10 labourers work in a centre daily. More than 500 labourers are now working at the local centres. Each of the labourers gets Tk 300 to 600 daily.” Another trader Neyamat Ullah said, “Huge capital is needed for producing dried fish powder, but there is no government loans for this business. The traders have to loan money with huge interest to run their business. As a result, a huge portion of the profit goes to the hands of moneylenders. Sometimes we have to incur losses, too.”
Saber Ahmed said, “Earlier some dishonest traders used toxic medicines for producing dried fish powder. To resist the trend and monitor the market, the local traders formed the association.”
He added, “The dried fish powder produced in Nazirartek is meeting a huge demand of the country’s poultry industry. If we get government help, the industry will expand.”
