KHULNA, June 24, 2023 (BSS)-Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC)

Talukder Abdul Khaleque today said the government has taken various steps to
increase the shrimp production, especially ‘vannamei’, a new species of white leg shrimp, to enhance the export to earn huge foreign currency.

“Shrimp is one of the main foreign currency earning sectors side by side garments,
its cultivator including the businessmen should come forward to increase its production,” he said this while inaugurating a seminar styled “Necessity of
commercial farming of vannamei shrimp side by side other shrimp production to increase export of shrimp.”

Business Promotion Council (BPC) of the Commerce Ministry and Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) jointly organized the seminar at fish fries’ production farm at Gallamary area here with BFFEA vice-president Sheikh
Abdul Baki in the chair.

President of BFFEA Kazi Belayet Hossain, senior vice-president of Khulna
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Sharif Atiar Rahman, Chief Scientific
Officer and Head of Shrimp Research Center of Bagerhat Dr Md Harunur Rashid,
Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Paigachha Fisheries Research center and
president of Khulna Press Club S M Nazrul Islam addressed, as special guests.

A documentary was presented on the research regarding the vannamei shrimp’ in the seminar.

The presentation narrated that a new species of shrimp named vannamei or
whiteleg, which is dominating the shrimp market, is seeing success in its first
experimental cultivation in Khulna.

The average production per hectare of this shrimp is 6,761kg more than the Bagda
variety. Besides, the production rate of this species is high while cost is low. It is
also cheap, easily available and delicious.
The vannamei shrimp originated in Vietnam but now in 15 countries of Asia are
producing it.

 Except Bangladesh, the remaining 14 countries are producing it
commercially.

If necessary, steps are taken, Bangladeshi shrimp exporters say they can go for
commercial production of this variety, the speakers said.

Shrimp farmers and exporters say only vannamei can capture the world market by
expanding the shrimp industry of Bangladesh. The government finally gave the permission in September 2019 in this regard.

The project is being piloted at the Paikgachha Saltwater Centre in Khulna under
the Department of Fisheries and the Fisheries Research Institute.

This is a joint venture of MUC Foods of Jashore BSCIC Industrial City and
Sushilan, a private development agency in Satkhira.