The frozen food exporters on Monday in a meeting with finance and commerce adviser Salehuddin Ahmed demanded that shrimp should be declared as an agricultural product like that of jute.
They also demanded separate economic zones in Khulna and Chattogram for the cultivation of shrimps and fixation of interest by banks on shrimp exports separately during the meeting at the secretariat in Dhaka.
Led by Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association president Kazi Belayet Hossain, the businesses wanted the release of arrears against the cash incentive, said officials who attended the meeting.
Kazi Belayet said that frozen food exports had been decreasing over the years as frozen food processors could not utilise their capacity due to the lack of raw materials.
Besides, Covid and the war between Russia and Ukraine reduced the price and demand of locally cultivated shrimps, export of which are the mainstay of the overall frozen food and live fish export with more than 70 per cent share.
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, shrimps contributed $300 million in the overall exports of frozen foods and live fish of $422 million.
However, the shrimp export decreased to $266 million in the July- May period of the 2023-24 FY, reducing the overall export of frozen foods and live fish by 13 per cent to $399 during the same month.
The finance and commerce adviser advised the shrimp farmers to use updated technologies to increase production.
He noted that the demand for the country鈥檚 frozen food in the global market was high.
He also advised the private sector to increase investment.
He said that the country鈥檚 investment environment had already been improved with the revamping of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority.