March 22, 2007

Burma businessmen hope to export shrimp to Bangladesh legally
 

Shrimp exporters from Arakan State in Burma are keen to export more shrimp from the Maungdaw wholesale shrimp center to Bangladesh during the 2007-08 fiscal year.

The shrimp exporters are looking to export 500 tonnes of shrimp to Bangladesh this fiscal year.  Last year, Burma exported 400 tonnes of shrimp from the Maungdaw wholesale centre to Bangladesh, 73 percent more than the 230 tonnes the year before.

However, shrimp businessmen are currently waiting for permission this year from the high army authority to export.

Up until now, shrimp exports from Burma were technically illegal as army authorities have not yet issued permission for shrimp exports.

In Arakan State, there are 155,533 acres of shrimp farms but 40 percent of those acres belong to local Burmese army battalions, a businessman said. Shrimp businessmen rent the shrimp farms from the army on a yearly basis.