Govt to import 0.1m tonnes sugar from Brazil

Brazil will provide assistance to Bangladesh to purchase 0.1 million tonnes of sugar through a state-to-state agreement. Ambassador of Brazil in Bangladesh Ricardo L Viana de Carvalho said this in a meeting with Industries Minister Dilip Barua at his secretariat office Tuesday. "We will see how to assist the Bangladesh government in importing sugar from Brazil," Mr Carvalho said. The Brazilian ambassador advised the minister to hold discussion with its foreign ministry team that was expected to arrive in Dhaka on March 10. Earlier the minister told the ambassador that Bangladesh was interested to import 0.1 million tonnes of sugar from Brazil. "We want to open a new relationship with Brazil through the import of sugar," he said adding: "We prefer state to state agreement instead of traditional tendering which takes much time". The government will import the mentioned amount of sugar for ensuring adequate supply of the item during the holy month of Ramadan. The minister said, "we have a good reputation of state-to-state agreements for importing products as my ministry earlier imported fertiliser from Saudi Arabia and Qatar which saved time and ensured a smooth supply of fertiliser to the local market. Brazil produces about 40 per cent of the total global output of sugar and local refiners also import a large share of the item from the country. Earlier the Ministry of Industries decided to purchase 0.2 million tonnes of sugar through the state-run sugar corporation from both local and international markets to keep the market stable with sufficient supply of the item during Ramadan.