Blow for Bangladesh's female crab farmers as Covid stops exports

Family incomes plummet at cooperative that helped empower women as lucrative trade with China is suspended

Female crab farmers in Bangladesh are struggling to feed their families after exports to China collapsed due to Covid-19, a charity has warned.

Despite the crab harvesting season being in full swing in Mongla, southern Bangladesh, continued lockdown across the nation and the closure of lucrative external markets have impacted not only farmers' livelihoods but also the country's GDP, which relies heavily on the $43m (33m) crab export industry, according to the charity Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).