Dhaka: Adviser to the interim government on the Ministries of Finance and Commerce, Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, today emphasized the importance of employing modern and automated technologies to enhance shrimp productivity, crucial for earning foreign currencies.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Salehuddin highlighted the global demand for Bangladeshi shrimp, noting that production is declining due to reliance on traditional methods. He advocated for the adoption of advanced technologies to boost shrimp production, warning that without increased production, export growth would remain stagnant.
Dr. Salehuddin shared these insights during a meeting with leaders of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) at the finance ministry’s conference room. During the discussion, he also mentioned the government’s restructuring of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), asserting that the investment climate in the country is now f
avorable.
He urged business leaders to bolster private sector investment, a sentiment echoed by BFFEA President Kazi Belayet Hossain, who pointed out that processing factories have been unable to fully utilize their production capacity for over a decade due to a shortage of raw materials. Hossain also attributed the declining export figures to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which have reduced both demand and prices for shrimp and fish in Bangladesh, even as domestic market prices have risen.
The meeting was attended by several key figures, including Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Md Abdur Rahim Khan and BFFEA Senior Vice President Ashraf Hossain Masud.