Exports of fresh water shirmp had been suspended in EU for 6 month. It's a second biggest foreign money earnar. This suspension order for next 6 month it has been cancel more than 50 consignments. It is basicaly cancelled due to health hazardous antibioticnitrofuran since january this year officials said yeasterday. "It's a voluntary retraint by the exporters who have agreed not to export fresh water shrimp until resolution of the problem" said a top government officials who attended an inter-ministerial meeting on the issue yesterday. The meeting, also attented by stakeholders of the shrimp industry, was held after buyers from the EU area detected presence of mitrofuran antibiotic in more than 50 consignments of fresh water shrimp export from BANGLADESH. The total value of the consignments stands around more than tk 60 core, exporters said. "We have taken decision of not exporting fresh warter shrimp to EU for the next six months. But we'll continue exporting other shrimps to this region," said Kazi Shahnewaz, acting president of BANGLADESH FROZEN FOODS EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION told to press. Shahnewaz said the halt to galda exports to the EU will be effective from june 1. Officials at the Ministry said the decision will be effective with immediate effect & no new application for export of fresh water shrimp to the EU will be accepted. Other shrimps are permited to export official said. The latest move of halting exports came as a pre-emptive measure to avoid any sanction by the EU authority. After registering a growth of 3.64 parcent in the fiscal year 2007-2008, exports of frozen foods, mainly shrimp, now faces a slack period as the global financial meltdown bites demand. Export from this sector fell by 13.01 percent to $355.67 million during july-murch of the current fiscal year from $408.87 million a year ago. Stakeholders said the health hazardous element comes fom feeds, although the use of nitrofuran is prohibited in BANGLADESH, with some suspecting that the element is coming through illegal channel of trade. "We have agreed in principle to suspends export of fresh water shrimp for the next six months," said Maqsudur Rahman, the BFFEA vice president. Maqsudur said exporters will strengthen their monitoring activities as well as initiating awarness campaign among farmers to encourage them to avoid using feeds having nitrofuran. A foreign consultant is expected to be assigned for investigation in to the source of contamination. Steps will also be taken to examine the water & soil of the shrimp farming areas, officials said.
---Courtesy of The DAILY STAR.
RSS Feed (xml)
