JS body for enrolling coconut products as exportable items – Business – observerbd.com

The Parliamentary Standing committee on Agriculture Ministry today recommended the concerned ministry for taking necessary steps to enroll the coconut products as exportable agricultural items as the country yearly produces over 2.71 lakh tonnes coconut which contains huge industrial values.

The recommendation was made at the 11th meeting of the committee which was held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here with committee chairperson Matia Chowdhury as presiding.

“The Agriculture Ministry will have to take necessary steps through the Finance Ministry, Industries Ministry and Commerce Ministry to include the coconut products – coco-peat, coir fiber, coir basket, foam mattress, orchid and steak — as agricultural products considering those as exportable items”, according to the committee recommendation.

Bangladesh annually produces over 2.71 lakh tonnes coconuts on 5,192 hectares of land which have enormous industrial uses, the government statistics shows.

The committee also has recommended for taking initiative to increase cultivation of Vietnamese coconut variety in the southern region as the production of the variety is three times higher than the production of the local variety in a year.

Committee members Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque, Muhammad Imaj Uddin Pramanik, M Moslem Uddin, M Mamunur Rashid Kiron, Joyasen Gupta, Umme Kulsum Sriti and Hosne Ara attended the meeting.

As per the recommendation, the ministry will motivate the farmers to cultivate jackfruits, black berry and herbal neem trees along with Aus and wheat crops under the Barind Multipurpose Authority area.

The ministry will also take steps to increase the excavation of wells at the Barind area.

BSS/GY