Banga Millers Limited, a sister concern of PRAN, has started procuring boro paddy and maize from contract farmers in various parts of Dinajpur.

The programme was inaugurated on the morning of 10 May on the PRAN factory premises at Rangamati in Phulbari by local MP (Dinajpur-5), freedom fighter Advocate Mostafizur Rahman, and Banga Millers Limited Executive Director Md Naser Ahmed.

PRAN distributed improved aman paddy seed among contract farmers at the event. For the coming aman season, PRAN will distribute quality paddy seed to 1,800 farmers in Dinajpur.

Md Naser Ahmed said Dinajpur district has 4,500 contract farmers producing paddy, maize and potatoes for PRAN. This boro season, a target has been set to procure 5,220 tonnes of paddy of nine varieties, BR16, BRRI dhan28, 29, 50, 74, 89, 90, Zirashail and Katari, from 2,200 acres. Procurement will continue as long as paddy is available. In addition, a target has been set to produce paddy on 3,230 acres in the coming aman season by distributing about 20 tonnes of seed.

He said PRAN's contract farmers had grown maize on 1,100 acres in Dinajpur this season, with a target of procuring 4,500 tonnes. The crops are being bought from farmers at market prices.

Kamruzzaman Kamal, director (marketing) of PRAN-RFL Group, said PRAN had long been working to improve the quality of farm produce and farmers' living standards. Throughout the year PRAN supplies its contract farmers with seed, fertiliser and other inputs and provides training to help them get better yields. At present, more than one lakh contract farmers across the country under PRAN Agro Business produce paddy, maize, potatoes, mangoes, tomatoes, pulses, cassava and other crops for PRAN, he said.

Phulbari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Muhammad Wasiqul Islam, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Muhammad Zafar Arif Chowdhury, Upazila Agriculture Officer Rumman Akter and Banga Millers factory General Manager Zakaria Hossain were present at the event.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.