FBCCI eyes JICA support to set up lab facilities at ports

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) has sought assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in establishing lab facilities at land, sea and international airports in the country.

“Airport and Seaport labs will aid Bangladesh in exploring the global food market. So, we urge JICA to come up with a financial and technical assistance project,” FBCCI’s Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu said during a meeting with representatives of JICA and Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) on Thursday at FBCCI in Dhaka.

Mostofa explained that Bangladeshi food and agro products are in huge demand in the north-eastern states of India. Therefore, accredited lab facilities at land ports will facilitate exporting these products to those states.

Speaking in the meeting, a representative from JICA head office Teruaki Fujii stressed ensuring safe food to achieve sustainable food security.

“JICA’s upcoming project will create scope for the private sector food processing industry to flourish,” he assured.

BFSA and JICA will jointly undertake a project for establishing a reference laboratory and training complex in the country, BFSA member Rezaul Karim informed at the meeting.

Mentioning that a significant amount of agricultural produce get spoiled because of the inefficient supply chain and preservation system, depriving farmers of a fair price, FBCCI Vice President Md Amin Helaly urged JICA to extend its assistance in food processing and preservation at the upazilla level.

FBCCI Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque urged JICA to collaborate with FBCCI to set up private testing labs in the country.

Among others, the organisation’s directors Mohammad Anwar Sadat Sarker and Md Rejaul Kariem Rejnu were also present at the meeting.