The government has initially decided to send samples of high-valued betel leaf to European Union countries through Bangladesh missions abroad in an attempt to regain the huge vegetable export market worth US$200m, which was hit hard by a fresh blow after the European Union detected insects in kakrol and brinjal consignments.
It also decided to arrange necessary training programmes for the local betel leaf cultivators on how to prevention their betel leaf production from Salmonella infection under the Bangladesh Agriculture University project.
These decisions were made immediately after a power-point presentation held yesterday at Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) in the capital.
Professor Dr Bahanur Rahman of Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU) presented the power-point presentation for developing a model to prevent the betal leaf cultivation from the Salmonella bactaria. Among, others, vice-chairman of EPB Shubhashish Bose attended the power-point presentation ceremony.
During the presentation, professor said an owner of an acre land of betel leaf garden in incussing a loss worth Tk5 to 6 lakh for not being able to export betel leaf aboard.
However, the production cost of betel leaf may raise 20% if the cultivators take Salmonella bacteria prevention measures.
Though the production cost may raise for cultivating the betel leaf if the cultivators use the prevention measures, we will, however, definitely regain the export market in the European union countries, said a senior official of the commerce ministry.
Bangladesh Agriculture Unversity (BAU) has developed a model for the prevention of Salmonella bacteria under a newly introduced project titled “Short term project for the removal of Salmonella from exportable high-valued betel leaf in Bangladesh’’ with a cost of only Tk5 lakh.
The salmonella bacteria, which is a severe health hazardous bacteria, usually enters into the human body, causing diseases like gastric, ulcer, and damage the immunity system of a human body and the height of the human body, especially the woman, is getting lower just because of the infection by salmonella bacteria.
It is an alarming situation prevailing in the country as one fourth of the total population are at now great danger as they are habituated to eat betel leaf, according to a research paper conducted by BAU.
Dr Bahanur Rahman, professor of the department of the Microbiology and Hygiene of BAU, in his power-point presentation said: We are not going to developed any expensive model as like as the European countries, so the country’s betel farmers won’t be discouraged to use the model to be developed by us.
“We should be as worried as like as the authorities of the European Union countries because Salmonella bacteria is not only hampering our betel leaf and vegetable export, but also directly affecting the largest population of the country.”
The proposed model will prevent of Salmonella bacteria in the production and marketing of the betel leaf in the country before exporting, said the presentation.
The percentage of Salmonella bacteria affected in betel leaf has increased during rainy season compared to other seasons.
Salmonella bacteria spreads in several ways, including bird’s drop at their residual production areas called “Paan Borag”.
According to the BAU research study, the cultivators collect the betel leaves and simply put them on the wet soil. The cultivators and betel leaf businessmen also sell the betel leaf at an open-field local markets, although the betel leaf should not be put on the wet soil, rather they should be covered up with the plastic to prevent them from Salmonella bacteria.
Commerce ministry undertook a move to prevent the high-valued betel leaf from salmonella infection by undertaking a project for the removal of the bacteria known to cause stomach disorders.
Having already been caught secretly shipping salmonella infected betel leaf, Bangladesh’s $200m vegetable export is hit hard 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.
EU had prohibited the export of the highly demanded betel leaf from Bangladesh during the last year after detecting the presence of salmonella bacteria.
