PRAN, HELVETAS to work for marginal farmers

Country’s market leader in the processed food industry PRAN and international development organization Helvetas join hand to promote marginal farmers.

The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding on this on Wednesday. As per the MoU, the two organizations will work in establishing inclusive agricultural value chain development for products like tomato, turmeric, chilli, cassava, pulse, peanut and coriander.

The MoU says that PRAN will buy these agricultural crops from the marginal farmers who are involved in HELVETAS development projects in Gaibandha, Kurigram, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Barisal, Sherpur, Shariatpur, Bandarban and Rangamati districts.

Eleash Mridha, Director of PRAN and Kaspar Grossenbacher, Country Director of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation inked the deal for years.

Mahtab Uddin, Chief Operating Officer of PRAN Agro Business ltd and Dr Noor Akter Naher Reba, Senior Program Officer of Helvetas were present on the occasion held at PRAN-RFL Center in Dhaka.

Officials said that the two organizations will provide technological support and training to farmers of chars and hilly areas.

Pran’s Eleash Mridha said that farmers will get a buy back guarantee on crops they grow with support of PRAN and HELVETAS.

Market access is a long-standing problem for Bangladeshi farmers. Farmers often sell their crops to middlemen at a low price as they cannot take their crops to market. If food processing industries buy crops, marginal farmers will get a relief.