The government has prepared an action plan for vegetable export to European Union market in a bid to satisfy the EU authorities who stopped Bangladeshi vegetables including betel leaf from entering the market after finding harmful bacteria.
Officials at agriculture ministry said they have sent this action plan which will be implemented by June 2015 to Bangladesh's Ambassador in Belgium Ismat Jahan to take immediate steps in this regard.
Under the action plan, steps will be taken to prevent export certificates fraudulence, launch contract farming under government monitoring, strengthen inspection and increase laboratory infrastructures. Amaranthus plants like betel leaf, brinjal and gourds will be cultivated in contract farming system under direct monitoring of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) to get back the $200m export market.
Ministry of Commerce, National Board of Revenue, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and the exporters' association will now jointly certify the products for export as there are allegations that some people were forging export certificates for sending vegetables like brinjal, gourds and betel leaf to the EU market.
Besides, the agriculture ministry will start checking every consignment of agricultural products going to the EU market at Hazrat Shajalal International Airport from next month. A three-member committee under the agricultural ministry headed by DAE director AZM Momtijul Karim prepared the action plan.
Under the action plan, a project titled “Strengthening Phytosanitnary Capacity in Bangladesh” has also been taken to train farmers, exporters, lab people and officials to ensure complying of EU quality requirements. The 15-day trainings will start from August 2014.
Besides, a total of 10 laboratories will be established under the project. Agriculture ministry is now preparing a pest list and conducting pest risk analysis of citrus, cucurbits, brinjal, potato and mango.
