The government has taken up a number of plans to enhance shrimp production by setting up a full-fledged shrimp research laboratory. The concerned ministry has approved a shrimp strategy recently, sources said. "Work on establishing a complete laboratory in Bagerhat district is in the process," a source in the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock told the BDNEWS. Absence of a complete quality research laboratory is hampering the export potentials of the item, as there is hardly any quality shrimp research laboratory in the country, producers and buyers claimed. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdullah Al Noman Thursday told the parliament the government has already taken up three projects to increase shrimp production. The projects include standardisation of shrimp production through close inspection, he said. The projects are Development of Lobster Shrimp Hatchery and Technology Development, Expansion of Technology for Bagda Cultivation and Strengthening of Fish Inspection and Quality Control. Meanwhile, both the exporters and the government made major investments in plant infrastructure and personnel training in order to achieve international technical and sanitary standards. "The ministry has approved a Shrimp Strategy recently and accordingly an action plan to increase the current production capacity is being planned," a senior official of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock told the news agency. Besides increase in production, he said, strategies have been worked out for inspection and quality control also. Farm owners, farmers and the people involved in shrimp processing would be provided training under the government-run projects, the Fisheries and Livestock Minister said. Southwestern districts of Bangladesh such as Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat are the heartland for shrimp production. Bangladesh is facing problems in the export of shrimp in respect of safety and quality standard. On July 30, 1997, the European Union (EU) for the first time banned imports of fish products from Bangladesh after EU inspections of Bangladesh's seafood processing plants. Inspections found serious deficiencies in the infrastructure and hygiene in the processing establishments and insufficient guarantees of quality control by Bangladeshi government inspectors.
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