#Bagma export market is losing its vanity

A species named 'Vanamani' shrimp is taking possession of Bangladeshi Bagda shrimp market. Due to the rapid growth, high production and lower prices, the demand of vanamic shrimp continues to grow in the international market continuously. Exporters have proposed to start Vanani shrimp cultivation in Bangladesh to survive in the global competition.

In this regard, Bangladesh frozen food exporters association (BFFEA) vice-president Debabrata Barua told Kaler Kantho, "Through the pilot project, a proposal has been sent to the government through the Department of Fisheries to start the cultivation of vanilla shrimp in Bangladesh. If we get help from the government-related department, using sustainable technology, we can produce vanilla shrimp in our country by encouraging shrimp farmers.

He also said that a proposal has been sent to the Ministry for the purpose of pilot project jointly organized by Department of Fisheries and Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association (BFFEA) on land under 48 acres of government Khas land and Chakaria Rakpur mouza in Cox's Bazar district under BFRI of Khulna region.

It is known that Asian frozen shrimp market is expanding in countries such as Russia, Australia, Canada, Spain, New Zealand etc. Although the Vanami species is North America, this shrimp is widely cultivated in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and India for the last seven-eight years. Those countries are taking over the international market by producing more shrimp in the vanei. This makes our neighboring countries commercially beneficial through the production of vanilla shrimp.

Exporters said 300 to 400 kg of shrimp is produced in every hectare in Bangladesh. And in India, Vanamani shrimp are cultivated around six metric tons per hectare. In the traditional process of shrimp cultivation, shrimp production rates in the world are lowest in the world. So the country's shrimp exporting factories are unable to use 20 percent of the production capacity due to lack of raw materials. In order to increase the export of foreign currency and increase the foreign exchange, the shrimp exporters expressed their need to cultivate vanamic shrimp in Bangladesh.

Exporters said that there are currently 110 frozen shrimp processing plants in the country. The annual production capacity of these factories is around 3,500,000 metric tons. But due to lack of raw materials, the owners of these factories can export under 50 thousand metric tons. That is, the factories are not getting 20 percent of the raw material production capacity.

Exporters also said that the amount of frozen shrimp exports from Bangladesh in 2013-14 fiscal year was 47 thousand 635 metric tons. That year, the export income in this sector was $ 550 million. In FY 2014-15, the amount of frozen shrimp exports and export earnings decreased. In the coming years, the export of Bangladeshi export earners has started to decrease due to vanamic shrimp. In the last fiscal year 2016-17, the amount of export was 39,706 metric tons. The export earnings are $ 446 million. Analyzing these statistics, the export earnings decreased by $ 104 million in four years. Likewise, the amount of frozen shrimp exports has decreased.

The leaders of the Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association said in the example of neighboring India, India said that in the 2011-12 fiscal, India started commercially producing vanami shrimp. That year they increased 19 percent of shrimp production. At the same time, they make 33 percent growth in foreign exchange earnings. Vanani shrimp has produced six lakh metric tons in India in fiscal year 2017-18. Vanani shrimp is cultivated in 33 countries producing shrimp through cultivation. Vanani cultivation has not started yet in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Fisheries officials said that the production of bajra shrimp produced in our country is twice a year. But vanami shrimp can be harvested all year round. Vanami shrimp are less expansive and less costly than shrimp shrimp. Vanani cultivation is increasing in different countries.

Meanwhile, the exporters said that the prices of shrimp in the international market have dropped from one to five dollars to two and a half to three dollars because of the low cost of production of vanilla shrimp, disease resistant, unhealthy and environmentally friendly environment.