Perishable goods exporters urge Biman to introduce cargo flights
Vegetable and fruit exporters have demanded the nationwide flag carrier Biman introduce particular cargo flights to reduce fares and boost the level of goods transported.
After 8 weeks of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, a few international airlines started carrying cargoes from the Hazrat Shahjalal AIRPORT TERMINAL (HSIA) from June 1.
Even so, the fares have finally more than doubled compared to the pre-pandemic time largely as a result of the space crisis in the flights and the limited quantity of carriers.
The exporters of perishable goods now pay between $4 and $4.5 to carry a kilogram of vegetable from the HSIA to London, way higher than $1.5 and $1.7 levied prior to the pandemic.
"We are able to hardly make any benefit from the vegetable and fruit exports right after paying this exorbitant fare to foreign cargo airlines," said Paritosh Das Manik, proprietor of Dip International, an exporter.
Manik used to ship practically 100 tonnes of fruits and vegetables a week prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Nowadays he exports three tonnes of the perishable goods weekly as a result of space crisis and lower demand from customers.
"Although the profit is quite low, I must ship goods as a way to maintain relations with the buyers," he said. He generally exports to the countries in the Middle East and the UK.
Qatar and another airline have begun carrying goods from the HSIA and some various other carriers would in the near future follow suit, the exporter said. This might increase the level of goods exported.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines should start a dedicated cargo flight in order that local exporters can enjoy lower fare and grab extra share in the overseas markets, he said.
Simply the international airlines are carrying goods, said Shahab Uddin, proprietor of Green Trade House International.
"As a consequence, I must pay five situations the normal fares regardless of the fall in quantity of shipment," he said.
He currently exports betel leaves due to the demand for vegetables dropped in the centre East.
"I hope I am in a position to ship more in the near future as other airlines will resume flights found in full-scale," he said. He ships two tonnes of goods a week, whereas it was a lot more than 12 tonnes in typical times.
Biman should take up a separate cargo flight soon, he also said.
If Biman starts a particular flight dedicated for cargoes, it might be better for the neighborhood exporters, said Kabir Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association.
The HSIA is slowly but surely time for business as international airlines are returning. However, the majority of them are chartered flights. Consequently, the fares are incredibly high, he said.
In almost all of the cases, the fares are 300 per cent higher than the standard rates, according to Ahmed, also the president of the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh.
The airlines can not be blamed for the bigger fares as a result of rising operational costs owing to the COVID-19 and security reasons.
"Biman is definitely assuring us of introducing cargo flights to essential destinations," stated Mohammad Mansur, standard secretary of the Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Items Exporters Association.
Vegetable and fruit exporters also demanded the construction of an agro-processing warehouse near the HSIA.
"We want the federal government to build this warehouse immediately," Mansur advised The Daily Celebrity by phone.
Generally, the peak season for vegetable and fruit exports commences from April. Due to the pandemic, exports in the 1st two months of the growing season were dull.
"But we've three more a few months. We should utilise this year by starting a particular cargo flight by Biman," Mansur said.
He called for reduction of source tax in export receipt to 0.25 % from the proposed 0.50 % in the budget.
The amount of exportable goods can be increasing at the HSIA.
Even a few days ago, only 50 tonnes were shipped a day and it rose to 150 tonnes to 220 tonnes in the last one week. That is still less than 1,200 tonnes delivered through the HSIA prior to the onset of the pandemic.
Shipment of vegetables, fruits, flowers, dry food, tea, spices and others dropped 8.7 % year-on-year to $780.16 million in the July-May amount of the existing fiscal year.
Biman officials declined to touch upon the problem of launching cargo flights.
