Dry food: Next big export item of Bangladesh?

Bangladesh has seen a boom in the export of dry food in 2018-19 fiscal. 

Expatriate Bangladeshis are the main consumers of the dry food products. Their increasing demand for this type of product is likely to increase its export volume.

Bangladesh's export of dry food was $227 million, out of total $909 million export of agricultural products, in 2018-19 fiscal year, which was $201 million in 2017-18, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

"The increasing demand for Bangladeshi processed food is boosting our export earnings," said Kamruzzaman Kamal, director (marketing) of Pran-RFL Group, adding that a growing number of expatriate Bangladeshis are showing interest in home-processed dry foods.

There exists demands among the foreigners for dry food, as well, Kamal informed.

Presently, more than 50 Bangladeshi companies export dry food to 140 countries including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, India, China, and Japan.

Dry foods include biscuits, chanachur, potato crackers, flour, milk powder, pickle, chutney, mango bar, jam jelly, aromatic rice, fine rice, peanuts, zira cut supari, candy, puffed rice, flattened rice, isubgul, noodles, vermicelli, snacks, dried dal and peas, molasses, diabetic firni mix, sweets, blackberry, potato flakes, sugar cane, puff corn, sesame- bar, and canned pineapple, according to Bangladesh Agro-Processors' Association.