Post Harvest Processing

 

Bangladesh is a densely populated agro-economy based country in Southeast Asia, and fisheries are now considered as the second most effective sector for employment generation and poverty eradication in Bangladesh. Fisheries contribute employment for about 10% of the whole population, about 15 million people are involved in different activities of fish and shrimp industry of Bangladesh for their livelihood (SHAB,2010). Labor employment in this sector has been increasing approximately by 3.5% annually. Fish production has been increased to 2.7 million metric tons in 2008-09, which was 1.8 million metric tons in 2000-2001 (BER, 2009).

 

The main export fisheries product from Bangladesh is shrimp. Before independence of the BD in 1971, there were nine fish processing plants with a production capacity of only 58 t per day. All of these plants were engaged in exporting fresh water headless shell-on prawns and frog legs to Europe and the USA.

 

The fish processing industry sector gained momentum during the period of 1972-1984, when 40 processing plants were installed by the private sector mostly under government initiation and bank loan support to promote the sector with a vision to export shrimps and frog legs to Europe and the USA.

 

From 1985-1998, 72 more processing plants were established by the private sector for processing and exporting shrimp and fish products. According to a BFFEA(2009) report 148 shrimp and fish processing industries are now & their total capacity of processing 11,300 MT per day.

 

Most of the Shrimp Processing plant are established in shrimp farming zone. In general shrimp farm are in range of a processing plant from 0km – 30km. when farmer harvested shrimp they store it standard sized plastic tubs with 200 kg capacity are used but loaded with maximum 120 kg shrimp and usually 20-30 kg to maximum 50 kg of slurry ice depending on storage time. No salt, chemical preservatives or disinfectants are used in the ice or water and the processing plant regularly checks the quality of ice and water at their in house laboratory. Fish and slurry ice is loaded in the tubs in layers properly arranged in the tubs to minimize pressure damage and send it to factory by trawler or vehicale.