BD gifts Banglamati rice, vegetables and seasonal fruits to UAE

Bangladesh sent Banglamati rice (developed by Bangladeshi scientists), seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables to the United Arab Emirates by a cargo flight of Etihad Airlines on Thursday.

The gifts include Banlamati rice, fresh watermelon, pineapple, okra, potato, pointed gourd, cucumber etc, said a press release.

Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) provided Banglamati rice and the Ministry of Agriculture arranged fresh vegetables under the guidance of Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaq.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen mentioned Bangladesh's remarkable progress in the agriculture sector with surplus food production during a meeting with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE in January 2020.

On a separate occasion, the chairman of the UAE Investment Authority Sheikh Hamadbin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his willingness to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to import rice from Bangladesh during his courtesy call in Abu Dhabi in January 2020.
 
The gifts were primarily made from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the President, the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Human Resources and the Minister of State for Food Security of the United Arab Emirates. The gifts were made as a gesture of good will and fraternity between Bangladesh and the UAE.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka is trying to explore overseas markets for surplus agro-products of Bangladesh, especially the seasonal fruits, fresh vegetables and meat. It is noteworthy; UAE authority has procured around 40 tons of fresh vegetables and meat and carried them in the same cargo flight. This might be a good start of exporting quality rice, fruits, vegetables and meat to the UAE.