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At one time cement, medicine, dairy food, cotton, ready-made
garment products, etc. were exported from Bangladesh to Myanmar. But for two
years, Lalita potato produced in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, and Comilla has
been the top export product in the country.
A question may arise in the mind of many, why is Myanmar
looking at Lalita potatoes when there is so much in the country? Apart from
that, various varieties of potatoes are produced in the country. Why are only
Lalita potatoes on the list of exports? Who eats these potatoes there?
Potatoes are exported to Myanmar through Teknaf land port in
Cox's Bazar. Recently, speaking with the customs department, importer-exporter, and traders on the ground at this land port, it is known that there is a huge
demand for Bangladeshi Lalita potatoes in Myanmar due to three reasons. First
of all Bangladeshi Lalita potatoes are cheap in price. Second, in Rakhine
State, where there was potato cultivation, production decreased due to the
establishment of barracks by the security forces. Third, the number of
unemployed and poor people in Rakhine State is increasing, which also increases
the demand for low-cost goods.
According to the data of Teknaf land port customs
department, about 17 thousand metric tons of Lalita potatoes were exported to
Myanmar through Teknaf land port in the last financial year 2021-22, the export
value of which is about 12 crore 12 lakh Taka. The price of potatoes fell to Tk
7.25 per kg reaching Teknaf land port.
In the three months from July to September of the current fiscal year 2022-23, 119 metric tons of potatoes were exported to Myanmar. The export value of which is about 18 lakh Taka. The price of potato per kg is more than 18 rupees when it reaches the port.
Talking to potato exporters and traders, 90 percent of
Lalita potato exports are bought from Bogra, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Rangpur, and
Comilla. At the beginning of the production season, potatoes were available at
Tk 5 to Tk 6 per kg in Bogra, Dinajpur, and Rangpur. The cost of loading that
potato truck to Teknaf land port was Tk. 7.25. Those potatoes were sold at 15 Taka
per kg in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Due to the low price, the people there are
very interested in this potato. But the recent increase in oil prices has
increased the cost of transportation. Potato season is over. Due to this, every
kg of potato is costing more than 18 Taka to reach Teknaf land port. And this
potato is being sold in Myanmar at a price of more than 35 Taka.
On September 29, a company named Shama Enterprises exported about two and a half metric tons of Lalita potatoes to Akyab, Myanmar. Managing Director (MD) of the company Mohammad Farooq told that there is a huge demand for Bangladeshi Lalita potatoes in Myanmar. But exports are falling due to shelling and instability in Myanmar's Rakhine state and rising prices. Most of the potatoes are now exported to Akyab (Sithuye) in Rakhine State, 400 kilometers away.
Traders said that before buying potatoes from Rangpur,
Dinajpur, Kurigram, and Comilla and reaching Teknaf land port, the truck fare
was 22 to 28 thousand Taka. After the increase in the price of fuel oil, this
rent has increased to 35 to 45 thousand Taka. It has to be sold in Myanmar at
35 to 40 Taka per kg of Lalita potato of 18 Taka. Due to the increase in the
price, the residents have reduced the purchase of these potatoes. As a result,
the export of potatoes has decreased slightly. However, the business may pick
up again if the prices come down a bit during the potato production season.
Mohammad Kasem and Abdur Razzak, potato traders of Teknaf,
said that although Lalita potatoes are used more in the Rohingya camp of
Ukhia-Teknaf and hotels and restaurants in Cox's Bazar, local people are used
to eating native potatoes. Buddhists, including the Rohingyas of Myanmar's
Rakhine state, turned to Bangladeshi Lalita potatoes because of their
relatively low prices. Because their income has decreased.
Myanmar businessmen So Wing Mong and Ju Wen, who came to
Teknaf land port to buy potatoes, said that the cultivation of vegetables,
including potatoes, has decreased in Rakhine State for two years. The
agricultural lands are now under the control of the country's security forces.
Economic activity has come to a standstill. It has also reduced the income of
the people there. These two businessmen from Myanmar came to Teknaf port with
wood from Myanmar. On their way back, they took Lalita Alu from Bangladesh. But
they could not buy many potatoes due to the increase in price. The reason,
they said, there are fewer people in Myanmar who eat potatoes for 35 to 40 Taka.
General Manager (Accounts) of United Land Port Teknaf, the
managing company of Teknaf land port. Jasim Uddin Chowdhury said, during the
potato production season, it was possible to export potatoes at Tk 7 to Tk 9
per kg. Now that the season is over, the price of potatoes has increased. Apart
from that, an unstable situation is going on in Myanmar. Due to these reasons, the export of potatoes is decreasing now.
At present, frozen fish, wood, ginger, pulses, coconuts, and pickles are imported into the country from Myanmar. And the exports from
Bangladesh are potatoes, various types of garment products, chips, etc.
|Source: Online/SZK
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