More cooperation could help dictate dried fish market price: exporter

MALE, Sept 19 (HNS) - More cooperation among local exporters could ensure the continuity of high prices for dried fish, a local exporter said. The number of exporters of dried fish has increased, and it is important to have a common understanding among them in order to ensure that dried fish prices do not go down in Sri Lanka, said Huravee Maldives owner Hussain Maniku Dhon Maniku. "Buyers in Sri Lanka cooperate among themselves and thus are in a stronger position to dictate the prices of Maldives' dried fish exports. They can fluctuate the prices whenever they want. If we have such cooperation amongst us, we would be in a stronger position to dictate the market price of our dried fish exports," he said.There are three or four prominent dried fish exporters here in Maldives but bickering among them have resulted in some parties selling their exports at very low prices which results in the overall market price for Maldives' dried fish plunging many times."If all local exporters agree on a floor price and refuse to sell below that price, Sri Lankan buyers would have no choice but to buy at our dictated terms," said Hussain who has been in the business for the last 15 years. Maldives exported more than 6,000 tonnes of dried fish to Sri Lanka last year, fetching more than Rf140 million in revenue.