To make use of the potential of Bangladesh's fruit processing industry, international standards and compliance for each export destination must be ensured, not just production.

This view was expressed by Enamul Haque, deputy director (food and agriculture) of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), at a round table titled "Fruit Processing: Problems and Prospects" at the Jago News office in Badda, Dhaka. Jago News editor K M Ziaul Haque presided over the event, held on Saturday 27 June.

Enamul Haque said BSTI provides ISO 22000 (food safety management system) services for the fruit processing industry and certification for products including dried fruit, pickles, chutney and juice. With online services now introduced, entrepreneurs no longer have to go to the office in person; they can apply and complete the necessary steps from home. This has increased transparency and greatly reduced unnecessary complications and red tape.

BSTI certification is mainly for the domestic market, he said. For exports, meeting each country's own standards and compliance is mandatory. Developed countries do not just test the final product; they assess the production process in the field, variety selection, pest management and even pesticide residues (MRL).

Although Africa and some countries have relatively lax regulatory systems, countries such as Australia and New Zealand follow very strict standards, he said. To enter those markets there is no alternative to ensuring international compliance.

Taking part in trade fairs abroad also requires following various countries' biosecurity restrictions, he said. In many cases products on display cannot be left there or given away as gifts; exhibitors must bring them back home at their own responsibility.

"The Bangladeshi market is open to apples, malta, grapes and dates from countries around the world, but effective trade talks are needed to increase exports of our fruit and processed products. New markets must be created for Bangladesh's mangoes, juices and other processed fruit products through bilateral trade agreements and skilled diplomatic initiatives," Enamul Haque said.

Present at the round table were Dr Jahangir Alam Khan, former vice-chancellor of the University of Global Village, researcher and agricultural economist; Dr Md Golam Ferdous Chowdhury, chief scientific officer of the Post-Harvest Technology Division of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI); Dr Md Mehedi Masud, former project director of the Year-round Fruit Production Project and fruit expert; Mohammad Arifur Rahman, director of the DAE's exportable mango production project; Ilias Mridha, managing director of PRAN Group; Md Abul Hashem, managing director of Hashem Foods Limited; Md Iktadul Haque, former general secretary of the Bangladesh Agro-Processors' Association (BAPA); S M Nazer Hossain, vice-president of CAB; Md Mahatab Ali, executive director of Kaju and Coffee Agro; Chapainawabganj agri-entrepreneur Ismail Khan Shamim; and Naogaon agri-entrepreneur Sohel Rana.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.