Country's export basket scanty despite volume growth

Commerce Minister Abdul Jalil has said that the country's export basket was too scanty and dependent on a small number of products, although export had grown significantly, reports UNB.

The minister said this while speaking at the inauguration of a commercial flower exhibition here yesterday.

Opening the fair as chief guest, the commerce minister said flowers were carried abroad under personal initiative in the remote past, but this was not being done on a large scale.

"People do not know that flower has a commercial prospect and they can earn livelihood from flower gardening," he told the function, adding that a product-base was needed to explore the sector.

As such, the government is implementing Grant Matching Fund scheme for export diversification that would also help the flower growers and exporters, he informed the organisers.

The five-day National Flower Show 2000 began at the Dhaka International Trade Fair ground with a hope to create awareness about flowers' mass production for earning foreign exchange.

The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has organised the show for the third time to bridge the gap and solve the problems in exploring the prospects for flower and plant export.

At the fair, attractive flowers, indoor and outdoor plants, cactus, Bonsai and orchid are on display in 28 nursery stalls.

In the flowery stall of Pallabi Nursery, the owner said that he discarded the idea of searching for a job when he found that nursery could provide him with the employment opportunity.

Shah Alam, who has HSC-level education, now earns Tk 6,000 a month on an average from his nursery that he began being inspired by his lodge provider during his student life.

He, however, pointed out that his earnings might increase if the customer base could be broadened.

Sharif A Chowdhury who is engaged in growing Bonsai said this type of flower show creates scopes for getting international buyers and their need for exploring potential of this non-traditional sector.

"Inability to export Bonsai last year made us ready to export these Japanese-style plants to the European countries, particularly to Amsterdam," he told the news agency.

Among others who spoke at the inaugural function were Commerce Secretary Golam Rahman and President of Bangladesh Flower Growers and Exporters Association agriculturist M A Samad. EPB Vice-Chairman AB Chowdhury presided.