Bangladesh faces crucial tests for farmed shrimp exports to the E.U.

Bangladeshi shrimp farmers and processors are bracing themselves for a visit from the European Union (EU) Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) in March to find out whether the country's shellfish products match the stringent qualities required by European consumers.

Industry experts say Bangladesh has 130 shrimp processing plants, literally thousands of farms, and employs over 1 million people in the industry, many of whom are peasant or subsistence farmers, particularly in the estuarial south western coastal regions.

The E.U. is the largest importer of Bangladeshi shrimps, accounting for almost 50 per cent of last years shipments, and in total the country exported nearly US$350 million worth of shrimps in the fiscal year 2009-10. After jute production and garment manufacturing aquaculture and fishing is the largest export earner of the country. Read more...