Having already been caught secretly shipping salmonella infected betel leaf, Bangladesh’s $200m vegetable export is hit by a fresh blow after the European Union detected insects in kakrol and brinjal consignments.
Only in January, the EU warned Bangladesh that if proper guidelines were not followed then it would discontinue the import.
The EU member countries, one of the largest vegetable markets of Bangladesh, stopped more than a hundred shipments between July last year and May this year.
In May alone, the quarantine authorities in Britain, Germany, Italy and Sweden intercepted 35 vegetables consignments from Bangladesh.
Last month, the quarantine section of the Plant Protection Wing of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of Bangladesh government, certified that several consignments of spine – locally known as kakrol– contained no pest.
However, the destination ports detected the presence of thrips, also known as thunderflies, in kakrol, which are in high demand in EU countries.
According to a report that the Dhaka Tribune has obtained, thrips were found in a total of 10 shipments.
The Plant Protection Wing has already asked the quarantine official posted at the Dhaka airport to explain why thrips were found in exported vegetables despite having clearance certificates.
There are allegations that unscrupulous businessmen bribe a section of dishonest customs officials to get their infected vegetable lots shipped to the European countries.
Last year, EU prohibited the export of the highly demanded betel leaf from Bangladesh after detecting the presence of salmonella, a bacteria known to cause stomach disorders.
“Initially we did not issue phytosanitary certificate [guaranteeing safety] for kakrol. However, later we issued the certificate upon permission from the director [of the Plant Protection Wing]. Now we have stopped doing it,” Dhaka airport quarantine officer Latafat Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said many of the interceptions were results of dispatching the consignments without phytosanitary certificates.
He claimed that the Plant Protection Wing has complained to the customs authorities several times that many of the customs officers were involved with the ill-practice because they have the final say about the export of any item.
Monjurul Islam, an adviser to the Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetable and Allied Products Exporters Association, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Some unscrupulous traders have been harming our business... Unless we follow the EU guidelines, our export may be hampered.”
Records show that importers have detected consignments of lemon with canker disease; butterflies in mango; white flies in spinach and jute leaf; and flies in mint. Many of these lots had no phytosanitary certificate.
On January 22, Taposh Kanti Das, commercial counsellor of the Bangladesh mission at the EU capital Brussels, wrote to the commerce secretary of Bangladesh regarding the union’s anger about the secret export of betel leaf.
EU officials cautioned that unless the secret export of betel leaf was stopped, “they [EU] might have to initiate additional import ban on some other vegetables consigned from Bangladesh in the coming months.”
A ray of hope
However, on May 6, Taposh wrote again to the commerce secretary suggesting that the EU authorities might not extend the ban on betel leaf beyond July 31 if Bangladesh demonstrated that it could tackle Salmonella or check unauthorised exports.
The commerce ministry has already held discussions with the stakeholders to find ways to get the ban withdrawn.
