Myanmar ships over 5,000 tonnes of rohu worth $6.49 mln to Bangladesh in H1

Myanmar conveyed 5,195.2 tonnes of rohu to Bangladesh through two cross-border posts (Sittway and Maungtaw) in the first half (April-September) of the current financial year 2022-2023, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Myanmar shipped 5,180.6 tonnes of rohu worth $6.314 million in the six-month 2021-2022 mini-budget period. The figures showed a small increase of $0.18 million this FY. However, the border trade has come to a halt since September amid transport security concerns, according to the Maungtaw border post.
Rohu is processed in Yangon and they are sent to the Sittway border post by cold-storage trucks or ships after pre-shipment inspection. Then, they are shipped to Bangladesh by motorboats. Myanmar has begun exporting rohu to Bangladesh through Sittway and Maungtaw border posts since 2016.
Agriculture and livestock are the backbones of Myanmar’s economy. Commercial fish farming businesses are found in some townships in Yangon, Bago and Ayeyawady regions. As rohu has grasped market shares in the international markets, farmers have expanded the scope of rohu farming.
Approximately 1,000 tonnes of rohu from Yangon city are delivered to Sittwe and Maungtaw border posts in Rakhine State with Bangladesh. Rohu from the other two cities is also sent to the border via sea route and road transport. Myanmar’s export has been surpassing imports in the cross-border trade with Bangladesh, including exports worth $19.066 million and imports valued at $0.14 million between 1 April and 2 December in the 2022-2023 FY.
Myanmar’s fishery export accounted for 65 per cent and dried groceries constituted 35 per cent of Myanmar’s two border posts with Bangladesh. The fishery products include farmed rohu, hilsa, mackerel, dried anchovy and dried fish powder. Tamarind, onion, ginger, dried jujube powder, jaggery, longyi (sarong) and clothes are also exported.
The values of fishery products to Bangladesh via two border posts stood at $6.318 million (7,093.413 tonnes) in the 2019-2020FY, $4.76 million (5,010.7 tonnes) in the 2020-2021FY and $13.987 million (11,362.97 tonnes) in the 2021-2022 six-month mini-budget period (October-March). — KK