Big jump in fruit import, high tax a barrier

With a 70 per centrise in importof fruits in the country over the last eight years, fruit consumptionhas become a part of daily diet for many people.

Higher fruit import is attributed to people’s rising awareness about nutrition, affordability and development of transport system as well. 

According to official records, import of fresh and dried fruits increased over the past eight years by 2.5 lakh tons from 3.6 lakh tons in 2009-10. 

The financial year 2016-17 witnessed the highest amount of fruit import - 6.12 lakh tons, which include, among others, apple, orange, grapes, dates, malta, almond, tamarind, pear. 

The first four months of the current fiscal (2017-18) saw 1.55 lakh tonsof fruits coming into the country from different countries of the world with apple sitting on top of the import volume. 

Professor DrMdIqbalRoufMamun, member of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) told UNB that, the demand of local and imported fruits is increasing day by day. 

As the imported fruits come from European and other developed countries, there is an assurance that the exporters are exporting thosemaintaining proper tests, he added.  

Mentioning that safe food products can bring better future for the country and the nation, he said that as there is only one sea port through which all fruits are being imported, it is not always possible to test the food products’ standard properly. unb