National training held to boost fortified rice production standards
A two-day training programme on production, quality control, quality assurance and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for rice fortification has been successfully organised by the Millers for Nutrition Coalition (powered by TechnoServe), Nutrition International and the World Food Programme (WFP).
The training was held in two batches—22–23 November and 24–25 November 2025—at the BRAC CDM in Savar, bringing together fortified rice blending millers from across the country. A total of 140 blending mill owners and representatives took part.
The objective of the programme was to strengthen the technical capacity of millers in rice fortification production, QC and QA practices, and adherence to SOPs, to support consistent production and distribution of fortified rice under the Government of Bangladesh's Social Safety Net Programme (SSNP).
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Expert resource persons from TechnoServe, WFP, Nutrition International, Bühler, the Directorate General of Food (DG Food) and the Department of Women Affairs (DWA) conducted the sessions.
A brief inaugural programme was held on the first day, with Md Abul Hasanath Humayun Kabir, director general of DG Food, as chief guest. Special guests included Md Firoz Uddin Khalifa, joint secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Maribeth Black, deputy head of programme, WFP; and Sayed Julfiqur Mahmud Niaz, president of the Bangladesh Fortified Rice Millers Association (BFRMA).
Welcome remarks were delivered by Md Guljer Ahmmed, country programme manager, TechnoServe; Dr Mohammad Mahbobor Rahman, senior programme policy officer, WFP; and Md Akib Abrar, programme officer, Nutrition International.
Speakers stressed the importance of strong QC and QA systems to ensure the supply of safe, high-quality fortified rice under government SSNPs.
Chief guest Md Abul Hasanath Humayun Kabir emphasised the crucial role of fortified rice millers in maintaining quality standards and ensuring food safety, and commended TechnoServe, NI and WFP for strengthening the country's food-fortification ecosystem.
Following the opening, participants joined thematic modules featuring lectures, technical presentations, practical demonstrations, group work, Q&A sessions and hands-on exercises on monitoring and inspecting fortified rice. Technical experts from TechnoServe, WFP, Bühler and NI led the training.
The concluding session reaffirmed the commitment of TechnoServe, WFP and NI to continue supporting the expansion and acceleration of the rice-fortification programme. Participating millers also shared practical recommendations for strengthening field-level implementation.
Closing remarks were delivered by Md Guljer Ahmmed of TechnoServe, Dr Mohammad Mahbobor Rahman of WFP and Md Akib Abrar of Nutrition International.
The final day featured a closing ceremony attended by Md Jamal Hossain, additional director general of DG Food, as chief guest. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to the rice-fortification programme and called for strong cooperation from blending millers to ensure quality production and distribution under SSNPs. He thanked participants and development partners before declaring the event closed.
Millers for Nutrition is supported by Strategic Fortification Partners BASF, BioAnalyt, dsm-firmenich, Mühlenchemie and SternVitamin; Regional Strategic Fortification Partners Hexagon Nutrition, Piramal and Sanku; and a broad network of local partners working to improve food processing and fortification practices. The initiative is powered by TechnoServe with funding from the Gates Foundation.
