Sapling exports need nurturing as huge possibility beckons

Despite Bangladesh being in a perfect position to become a top exporter of saplings with its vast fertile land and perfect climate, the country's true potential in this trade remains untapped because of a lack of proper support and promotion on part of the government.

Bangladesh for the first time a couple of years ago directly exported fruit tree seedlings via Chattogram sea port, preceded by a small batch sent to Qatar through air cargo, raising hopes as a new export product.

However,  no significant promotional efforts have been undertaken since.

On 22 July last year, Kamrul Hasan, commercial counsellor at the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Dubai, UAE, sent a letter requesting the ministries of commerce and agriculture to take essential measures in support of sapling exports.

The letter said export incentives are needed in greenhouse, washing units, and packaging sheds. Besides, it asked for easy access to reefer containers, duty exemptions on cocopeat imports, expedited clearance issuance and reduced air freight charges.

With facilitation in these issues, it is possible to produce saplings at low cost in a favourable environment in Bangladesh, it said.

Exporters

Saplings are exported without soil, requiring their cultivation in cocopeat to comply with international regulations. They are then stored in greenhouses at 45-50 degrees and shipped in air-conditioned reefer containers. 

Shamsul Alam exported 5,000 fruit tree saplings to Qatar for the first time in January 2019 after nearly three years of efforts. These included mango, java plum, lemon, fig, neem, litchi saplings. 

In 2021 and for the first time, Shamsul exported through Chattogram Port. Currently, he also exports to Dubai. He has so far exported more than one lakh saplings.

According to the exporters and Plant Quarantine Wing of the Department of Agriculture Extension, four more companies have joined in the export in the last four years. 

Sat Bhai Nursery in Gaibandha has exported around 6,000 saplings to Turkey in two shipments in 2021 and 2022. These included mango, jackfruit, litchi and flower tree saplings. The nursery will export 3,000 more saplings within the next month. 

Khadim Enterprises of Cumilla exported 5,330 fruit tree saplings to Dubai and 100 as samples in 2022 to Maldives.

Currently, Syria, Egypt, the Netherlands, India, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Turkey are top exporters of high-quality saplings.

Call for support

Saiful Islam Kallol, owner of Sat Vai Nursery, highlighted the requirement for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for sapling exports leads to export delays.

"Additionally, the absence of reefer container facilities at our loading point necessitates transporting saplings to the port for shipment, further impacting their quality and causing delays," he added.

Shamsul Alam, the first saplings exporter from Bangladesh, told The Business Standard that the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) hosts international trade fairs to boost local products, but saplings are notably absent from this list. 

"Inclusion in such events, especially in the Middle East, would undoubtedly enhance our visibility and attract more buyers. I am confident in our potential success," the exporter said.

Bashir Miah Khadim, owner of Khadim Enterprise, stressed the importance of government-led research in identifying sapling varieties that can thrive in Middle Eastern climates, emphasising the sector's limited capacity for such research initiatives privately.

Md Abdullah Yousuf Akhond, director (research) at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, acknowledged the absence of research on sapling exports and expressed their unawareness of this potential sector.

Potential in Middle East 

According to a research report published by US-based Spherical Insights & Consulting, the global plant factory market size is to grow from $121.9 billion in 2022 to $242.2 billion by 2032

At the Middle East Green Initiative Summit at Cop27, Saudi Arabia plans to plant 50 billion trees in the Middle East, 10 billion of them in Saudi Arabia, to cut global carbon emissions by 2.5%.

As part of that goal, in 2022, around 60,000 trees were planted in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, with 8.4 million trees planted across the country.

Exporters emphasised strong demand in Middle Eastern countries for Bangladesh fruit tree saplings, including mango, jam, lemon, sapodilla, fig, neem, litchi, and flower trees, and sought support to access this significant market.