Exports to jump as Pran products win hearts of world consumers
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The Pran-RFL Group eyes a big jump in exports as its products are in great demand in different parts of the globe.
"We expect our exports will grow and thus help diversify the country's export items," Mr Amjad Khan Chowdhury, Chief Executive of the Pran-RFL Group, the largest agro-processing company of the country, told the FE in an interview.
He said his company has a target to export products worth Tk 4.0 billion in the current fiscal year.
Currently Pran-RFL is exporting products to more than 70 countries including neighbouring India and Nepal.
Mr Amjad said the demand for Pran products in India was rising fast.
"Our exports to India would be at least ten times the current figure, if the non-tariff barriers facing the company are removed," he added.
The company has taken a move to construct an agro-processing plant at Tripura in India to supply the products there at competitive prices.
"We'll invest US$ 2.0 million there, it would help boost our exports to that country," said Mr Amjad, also a former army general.
The Pran-RFL Group had launched its operation as an agricultural equipment manufacturer back in 1980.
It started producing agro-processing products in early 1990s and now it produces more than 500 farm products apart from plastic goods.
The Group also wants to boost export of its plastic products to Japan, the USA and Canada, he said claiming Bangladesh has a great potential to tap the export market of petroleum byproduct.
The developed nations are importing the products from China and Vietnam and they are now searching for new sources of the products at competitive prices.
"We're in a more advantageous position than China and Vietnam. For, the buyers from the developed world are now rushing to us," Mr Amjad added.
The Group has two plastic goods producing plants, one in the Adamjee Export Processing Zone and the other at Polash in Narsingdi.
"We're now exporting plastic shopping bags to Japan and household utensils to Canada," he added.
The company is also exporting plastic products to India, Middle East countries and Europe.
During the mid-1980s prior to launching its agro-processing products in the domestic market, it was involved in farming. It used to grow pineapple, banana and papaya.
"We used to supply our farm products to the city's Karwan Bazar. But the value addition was very low," Mr Amjad said.
"I visited many countries to learn how to preserve the agricultural produces.
"At last, I hired experts from abroad, who helped me with the preservation procedures," Mr Amjad said in an emotion-choked voice.
The Pran Group chief saw a bright prospect for the agro-processing products to meet the country's demand and the scope to earn huge foreign exchanges by exporting non-traditional goods.
The bottled juice of mangoes was the most successful innovation of his company making it a popular name in the domestic market.
After the success of its mango juice products, the company set up a pulp processing plant at Natore.
The plant has a processing capacity of 800 tonnes a day.
"This pulp processing plant encouraged many to venture into mango farming in Natore and the adjoining districts, as we assure them of purchasing their produces at attractive price," he mentioned.
The company has planned to purchase 40,000 tonnes of mangoes worth Tk 750 million this year. It is now also focusing on dairy products.
"We're now working on producing dairy products," he said, adding Pran is now extending support to dairy farmers under its new dairy project.
"We intend to build dairy hubs at different locations of the country and it will help attain higher return from milk," he added.
The quantity of milk obtained in traditional cattle rearing is very low and providing farmers with better training and high-breed cattle would produce just far better results, he observed.
The Pran-RFL Group has seven subsidiaries and employed more than 24,000 people, mostly women.
The Pran-RFL Group eyes a big jump in exports as its products are in great demand in different parts of the globe.
"We expect our exports will grow and thus help diversify the country's export items," Mr Amjad Khan Chowdhury, Chief Executive of the Pran-RFL Group, the largest agro-processing company of the country, told the FE in an interview.
He said his company has a target to export products worth Tk 4.0 billion in the current fiscal year.
Currently Pran-RFL is exporting products to more than 70 countries including neighbouring India and Nepal.
Mr Amjad said the demand for Pran products in India was rising fast.
"Our exports to India would be at least ten times the current figure, if the non-tariff barriers facing the company are removed," he added.
The company has taken a move to construct an agro-processing plant at Tripura in India to supply the products there at competitive prices.
"We'll invest US$ 2.0 million there, it would help boost our exports to that country," said Mr Amjad, also a former army general.
The Pran-RFL Group had launched its operation as an agricultural equipment manufacturer back in 1980.
It started producing agro-processing products in early 1990s and now it produces more than 500 farm products apart from plastic goods.
The Group also wants to boost export of its plastic products to Japan, the USA and Canada, he said claiming Bangladesh has a great potential to tap the export market of petroleum byproduct.
The developed nations are importing the products from China and Vietnam and they are now searching for new sources of the products at competitive prices.
"We're in a more advantageous position than China and Vietnam. For, the buyers from the developed world are now rushing to us," Mr Amjad added.
The Group has two plastic goods producing plants, one in the Adamjee Export Processing Zone and the other at Polash in Narsingdi.
"We're now exporting plastic shopping bags to Japan and household utensils to Canada," he added.
The company is also exporting plastic products to India, Middle East countries and Europe.
During the mid-1980s prior to launching its agro-processing products in the domestic market, it was involved in farming. It used to grow pineapple, banana and papaya.
"We used to supply our farm products to the city's Karwan Bazar. But the value addition was very low," Mr Amjad said.
"I visited many countries to learn how to preserve the agricultural produces.
"At last, I hired experts from abroad, who helped me with the preservation procedures," Mr Amjad said in an emotion-choked voice.
The Pran Group chief saw a bright prospect for the agro-processing products to meet the country's demand and the scope to earn huge foreign exchanges by exporting non-traditional goods.
The bottled juice of mangoes was the most successful innovation of his company making it a popular name in the domestic market.
After the success of its mango juice products, the company set up a pulp processing plant at Natore.
The plant has a processing capacity of 800 tonnes a day.
"This pulp processing plant encouraged many to venture into mango farming in Natore and the adjoining districts, as we assure them of purchasing their produces at attractive price," he mentioned.
The company has planned to purchase 40,000 tonnes of mangoes worth Tk 750 million this year. It is now also focusing on dairy products.
"We're now working on producing dairy products," he said, adding Pran is now extending support to dairy farmers under its new dairy project.
"We intend to build dairy hubs at different locations of the country and it will help attain higher return from milk," he added.
The quantity of milk obtained in traditional cattle rearing is very low and providing farmers with better training and high-breed cattle would produce just far better results, he observed.
The Pran-RFL Group has seven subsidiaries and employed more than 24,000 people, mostly women.