Quality feed a must for fish export

According to the government, the production of fish in our country is one lakh tonnes more than what is required in the country. We have no plan as to what should be done with this excess fish, which has become a big crisis for us. To get out of this crisis we have to plan for exports.

Our fish production is so high but we cannot export any fish except shrimp. A few reasons for this are noteworthy. Our production cost is very high because feed prices have risen by over 30% in the last year alone. There are many questions regarding the quality of feed we are giving the fish, which means the quality is very low. Due to the increase in feed prices, the trend of using poultry litter as feed is increasing among farmers.

Researchers say heavy metals are now found in large quantities in fish. This is only due to feed quality. Besides, we are lagging in the use of technology in fish farming. Pond quality is also not very good. Due to these reasons, we are not able to export fish. The price at which Thailand exports fish to the world market is much higher than our price. There is no scope for exporting low-quality fish at high prices in a competitive market.

The government can take some measures in this regard. A zone can be set aside to cultivate fish in a controlled environment and export it. It can be gradually increased according to the target. Then we might do something about our extra fish production. Traceability is very important when fish is exported, so these problems should be fixed.

Our neighbouring country India regularly monitors their demand and production data and controls production. When the farmers could not sell their fish, they decided to reduce their production through policy and implemented it. But there are many questions about the data on fish production and demand in our country. Still, if it is found that there is so much production and the farmers are not getting fair prices, then the government must take steps to increase or decrease its production.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the volatility in the feed market, many small farmers have lost their capital. Around 40% of fish farmers in the country are large and 60% are small farmers. Loss of capital for small farmers means production will suffer. But the situation is now such that even if the production decreases, there will be a surplus due to the decrease in demand as people's purchasing power has decreased a lot. To get out of this situation, we have to stand by the farmers.

Currently, four lakh tonnes of tilapia and 10 lakh tonnes of pangas fish are produced all over the country. Whether consumers will buy the same amount of fish in 2023, or whether there will be pressure on these two fishes because people with reduced purchasing power will buy them more need to be researched. Based on this research, the production needs to be increased or decreased and the decision should be implemented. If this decision is not taken, the producer will incur losses if the production is high.

On the other hand, it is important to monitor how reasonable the increase in food prices is caused by the increase in the price of ingredients due to the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war. Often those who lose capital cannot re-invest, because they do not have good contact with banks. However, big farmers may be able to sustain their businesses by investing repeatedly.

Besides, importance should be given to the processing of fish. If this linkage industry can be developed well, the demand for the product will increase in the country while it will also be possible to export. This will also increase employment opportunities.

To overcome the current crisis, policies should be formulated with utmost importance on export and processing. It will be possible to give the farmers a chance to survive.

Besides, the use of poultry litter decreased at one time, but now it is increasing again. To get rid of this problem, measures should be taken to ensure that poultry litter is not used as fish feed and monitor the price of feed.

The author is the general secretary of the Bangladesh Tilapia Foundation and owner of Agro 3 Fish Hatchery and Culture Firm