Environ-friendly cold storage opens

Special Correspondent From Rajshahi | Published: December 06, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

An environment-friendly cold storage with 300 metric tonnes capacity got off the ground today here in this northern city.
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) provided Tk 1.40 million for building the cold storage from its corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.
"We'll provide more funds for setting up such type of cold storage in different parts of the country to facilitate agricultural activities," BB Governor Atiur Rahman said while inaugurating the cold storage.
The central bank chief advised all banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) to provide financial support to build up such cold storage from their CSR funds to support farmers.
"It's a strategic jump of Bangladesh through introduction of such green technology that is running without power," Dr. Rahman said.
The BB governor also said farmers will be able to preserve their perishable products like potato, tomato, onion and ginger at lower costs in the natural cold storage than that of traditional one.
"Actually, it's a cost-saving technology that will allow the farmers to get higher prices of their products," he explained.
A BB senior official said after successful experimentation of the project, the banks will be asked to extend their loans facility to the interested farmer groups or individual for setting up such cold storage across the country.Â Â
M. Monzur Hossain, professor of the Botany Department of Rajshahi University, said the cold storage is designed to facilitate the grassroots level farmers in Bangladesh.
Dr. Hossain, also project director of the natural cold storage, sought financial assistance from the commercial banks and NBFIs to establish such cold storage.
Among others, Vice-Chancellor of the Varendra University M Osman Gani,Â Â Pro-vice chancellor of the Rajshahi University Chowdh0ury Sarowar Jahan, Professor of the Rajshahi University Of Engineering and TechnologyÂ Niamul Bari Executive Directors of the BB M Mahfuzur Rahman and Jinatul Bakeya, Managing Director of the Al Arafah Islami Bank Limited Md Habibur Rahman and Managing Director of the Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) Manjur Ahmed spoke on the occasion.
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