Handling, Processing and Marketing of Fish in Bangladesh - Part 1 (NRI): Section 5: Conclusions: 5.2 Possible measures to improve the marketing system

Handling, Processing and Marketing of Fish in Bangladesh - Part 1 (NRI)

(introduction...)

Acknowledgements

Glossary of abbreviations

Map of Bangladesh showing regions and major cities

Summary

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Supply and demand

(introduction...)

2.1 Fish production

2.2 Exploitation of enclosed inland waters

2.3 Species and product form

2.4 Domestic consumption

2.5 Exports

2.6 Prices

2.7 Future outlook

Section 3: The marketing of fish for domestic consumption

3.1 Trade flows

3.2 Marketing channels

3.3 Marketing margins

3.4 Marketing infrastructure

3.5 Handling and transport

3.6 Losses

3.7 Government intervention in fisheries marketing

3.8 The role of co-operatives in fish marketing

3.9 Conclusions: Market efficiency

Section 4: The shrimp industry

4.1 Trade flows and intermediaries

4.2 Marketing infrastructure

4.3 Handling and processing

4.4 Packaging

4.5 Losses

4.6 Quality control

Section 5: Conclusions

5.1 Problems of the existing system of marketing

5.2 Possible measures to improve the marketing system

5.3 Benefits from the proposed measures

Bibliography

Appendices

(introduction...)

Appendix A: Source tables

Appendix B: List of scientific, Bangladeshi and English names of fish, molluscs and crustaceans

Appendix C: Functions of BFDC

Appendix D: Physical facilities belonging to BFDC

5.2 Possible measures to improve the marketing system

The scale of the losses and the scarcity of fish in Bangladesh make it particularly important to improve the way in which fish is marketed. As stated in Section 2.9, Bangladesh will have difficulty maintaining its present level of per capita fish supplies over the next two decades, let alone improving it, and this makes it all the more necessary to reduce physical losses and to increase the flow of fish from producing areas to consumers.

Measures of the following kind are needed:

(a) Assistance targetted specifically at remote fishing communities in the Bay of Bengal and the beef fishing areas. In some inland areas, the building of roads is necessary to improve market access. Fishermen should receive instruction on improved methods of handling and curing fish, there being simple preventative methods which will substantially reduce curing losses. Fishermen or fishing communities should also be helped to acquire motorised collector boats, mini ice-plants (where economically justified) and processing facilities. Of course the effective use of such plant and equipment by communities or groups of fishermen requires that they be suitably organised and managerially capable, for this reason careful attention should be paid to social development aspects.

(b) An improved system of mandatory inspection for seafood exports as discussed in Section 4.6.

(c) The building of a series of modern landing facilities and wholesale markets in all the major landing and trading centres throughout Bangladesh. These would be hygienic and require less physical handling of the fish.

(d) Training and extension in improved handling and processing addressed at all those involved in the handling of fish, including fishermen, traders, processors, export packers and municipal authorities. The first priority should be to improve the quality of exported fish, given its high unit value, but training should subsequently be given to those involved in the domestic trade. Training should be linked with research into improved handling which is discussed under the next sub-heading.

(e) Research. There is scope for considerable research in the post-harvest fishery sector. For example, research is required to better quantify the postharvest losses described above. Another exercise is required to determine the optimal use of shrimp by-catch which is presently discarded at sea. A number of subjects need to be considered such as the design and operation of shrimp trawlers, the use of collector boats and alternative uses of the by-catch. Research is also appropriate for evaluating improved methods of handling and processing of fresh fish, e.g. new forms of packaging and insulation.

(f) Further suggestions arising from this report include: restrictions on the number of new seafood packing plants that may be built, together with a prohibition on exports by companies which do not own such plants; improvements in port facilities and reefer services (see comments in Section 4.2); improvements in the quality of packaging materials available to exporters.

For Bangladesh to undertake such a programme the Government, as well as cooperating private organisations, will need considerable technical and financial support from outside. Much of this support would consist of training Bangladeshis in fish quality, handling, processing techniques, etc. It was noted by the authors that there were a number of enthusiastic graduates who had already received some training in these areas, often overseas, but that they tended to lack sufficient practical experience. It is therefore preferable that most training be of the practical hands-on kind, which can best be provided by in-country courses. At the same time there is a need to improve the training capability of the universities and the fisheries training centre at Chandpur, which has recently come under the newly created Fisheries Training Institute.