A big boost for dried fish

Tk 89cr project to be placed before ECNEC today

For the first time in the country, the government has undertaken a research project worth Tk. 89 crore to produce and preserve dried fish with the aim to boost exports of the product. The three-year-long project will be implemented by the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) through its centres in Chattogram and Dhaka, said BCSIR sources.

The BCSIR has already prepared a proposal of the project, which would be placed at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today (Tuesday), seeking its approval, the sources added. According to the proposal, the authorities will dry the fish to prepare the product by using ‘electricity safe drawers’ within a day. The dried fish will be packed with vacuum packaging so that it can be preserved for at least a year.

At present, fishermen and businessmen dry fish traditionally for four to seven days to prepare dried fish. Then they use salt, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) insecticide powder and other contaminated items to preserve the dried fish, thereby creating a serious health hazard.

“If the fish is dried using electricity safe drawers and packed with the help of vacuum packaging, the protein of the dried fish would be maintained fully. It would create opportunities to boost exports especially in Middle Eastern countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, as well as the US and the UK, where large numbers of expatriate Bangladeshis live,” the proposal added.

According to the Dried Fish Merchants’ Association (DFMA), demand for dried fish in the domestic market now stands at 55,000 tonnes, while the country produces only 20,000 tonnes. The remainder is imported from India, Myanmar and Pakistan.

Around 30 varieties of dried fish are found in the market. The most popular ones are Chinese pomfret (‘rupchanda’), Indian salmon (‘lakkha’), ribbon fish (‘chhuri’), Bombay duck (‘loitta’) and shrimp.

Supplies from all fish processing areas, particularly the coastal areas and islands like Rangabali, Sonadia, Kutubdia, Talpatti, St Martin’s, Teknaf, Banshkhali, Anwara, Moheshkhali and Cox’s Bazar, enter this market.

Dried fish is usually processed at present in a natural way under the open sky in the coastal areas of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and the Rangabali coast.

According to the proposal, the dried fish can be “a cheap source of protein for the low and middle-income groups if the fish are processed in the proper way”. Usually, 5kg of fish can be turned into 1kg of dried fish. That is why dried fish is a lot richer in protein than ordinary

fish and can easily meet the people’s daily protein demand. Sources at the Dried Fish Packaging Traders’ Association said dried fish is now a Tk. 500-crore industry, with products worth Tk. 300 crore sold domestically while the remaining Tk. 200 crore is accounted for by exports.

A big boost for dried fish

Tk 89cr project to be placed before ECNEC today

For the first time in the country, the government has undertaken a research project worth Tk. 89 crore to produce and preserve dried fish with the aim to boost exports of the product. The three-year-long project will be implemented by the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) through its centres in Chattogram and Dhaka, said BCSIR sources. The BCSIR has already prepared a proposal of the project, which would be placed at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today (Tuesday), seeking its approval, the sources added. According to the proposal, the authorities will dry the fish to prepare the product by using electricity safe drawers within a day. The dried fish will be packed with vacuum packaging so that it can be preserved for at least a year. At present, fishermen and businessmen dry fish traditionally for four to seven days to prepare dried fish. Then they use salt, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) insecticide powder and other contaminated items to preserve the dried fish, thereby creating a serious health hazard. If the fish is dried using electricity safe drawers and packed with the help of vacuum packaging, the protein of the dried fish would be maintained fully. It would create opportunities to boost exports especially in Middle Eastern countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, as well as the US and the UK, where large numbers of expatriate Bangladeshis live, the proposal added. According to the Dried Fish Merchants Association (DFMA), demand for dried fish in the domestic market now stands at 55,000 tonnes, while the country produces only 20,000 tonnes. The remainder is imported from India, Myanmar and Pakistan. Around 30 varieties of dried fish are found in the market. The most popular ones are Chinese pomfret (rupchanda), Indian salmon (lakkha), ribbon fish (chhuri), Bombay duck (loitta) and shrimp. Supplies from all fish processing areas, particularly the coastal areas and islands like Rangabali, Sonadia, Kutubdia, Talpatti, St Martins, Teknaf, Banshkhali, Anwara, Moheshkhali and Coxs Bazar, enter this market. Dried fish is usually processed at present in a natural way under the open sky in the coastal areas of Chattogram, Coxs Bazar and the Rangabali coast. According to the proposal, the dried fish can be a cheap source of protein for the low and middle-income groups if the fish are processed in the proper way. Usually, 5kg of fish can be turned into 1kg of dried fish. That is why dried fish is a lot richer in protein than ordinary fish and can easily meet the peoples daily protein demand. Sources at the Dried Fish Packaging Traders Association said dried fish is now a Tk. 500-crore industry, with products worth Tk. 300 crore sold domestically while the remaining Tk. 200 crore is accounted for by exports.