Accredited certificate necessary to increase export of agri items to UK

Bangladesh being a Commonwealth member state has a huge scope for boosting export of agricultural items to the UK through availing duty and quota-free access facilities, said speakers at a meeting on Wednesday.

But for this the government and the policymakers have to ensure international standard accredited lab certificates, diversification in export items, quality control from production stage to shipment, packaging and supplying bacteria free product through maintaining due standards, emphasis on contract and zone farming and building separate special economic zone for the agri processed industries, they suggested.

The agri sector entrepreneurs and experts came up with such observations at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on ‘Expansion of agricultural items to UK market’, reports news agency BSS.

The meeting was held at the Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University organised by private research firm Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID).

Moderated by RAPID executive director professor Abu Eusuf and commerce ministry additional secretary (export wing) Abdur Rahim Khan spoke on the occasion as the chief guest. RAPID chairman MA Razzaque presented the keynote paper.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) director general Shah Mohammad Mahbub, Pran Group managing director Ilias Mridha, British High Commission programme manager Shahrukh Shakir, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Commerce ministry additional secretary Abdur Rahim Khan said that the export of agricultural items could be raised up to $5 billion if the capacity of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) could be enhanced.

He informed that the Ministry of Commerce has proposed for setting up a warehouse at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for maintaining the quality of fisheries and agricultural items.

In his presentation, MA Razzaque said that Bangladesh has a scope for boosting exports to the UK market under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme of UK.

He said that the exports of Bangladeshi items to the UK in the last fiscal year reached $5 billon of which only $14 million came from agricultural items. “There is a scope for boosting export of agricultural items there through availing the existing trade facilities.”