Bangladesh
Potato Exports Despite ban lift, Bangladesh won't export potato to Russia this year
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, April 16: Russia had put a ban on Bangladesh's potato exports seven years ago. The country has recently lifted the ban. But the ban has been lifted at a time when it has no real benefits. The decision will be on paper for a long time. Especially this year, there is no possibility of exporting potatoes to Russia.
On March 5, Russia lifted the ban on potato exports from Bangladesh. But because of the Ukraine-Russia war, no country has been able to conduct normal financial transactions with them. It is still unknown when Bangladesh can resume potato exports to Russia.
Exporters say that even if the war situation is resolved soon, the potato season will end in the country. Now the potato season is going on in the country. As a result, it will take at least another year to reap the benefits of the ban lift.
In this regard, Ferdousi Begum, President of Bangladesh Potato Exporters Association and Managing Director (MD) of Ferdous Biotech Limited, said that the benefit of lifting the ban will be available next year. Because now is our export season. But war is going on in that country. Nothing more will happen this year.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), 14,000 tonnes of potatoes were exported from Bangladesh to Russia in the last fiscal year 2014-15. The amount was even higher in the previous fiscal year 2013-14. In that year, Bangladesh earned 3.3 crore US dollars by exporting 20,000 tons of potatoes.
Exporters say Russia is a big market for potatoes. Because potato is one of the main food there. Russia also has access to markets in countries such as Ukraine and Poland. In all, at least 500,000 tons of potatoes could be exported to Russia.
Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance imposed a temporary ban on the import of Bangladeshi potatoes on May 6, 2015, citing the presence of a harmful bacterium called brown rot. Then on March 7 this year, the Russian embassy in Dhaka informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh about the lifting of the ban.
