PRAN enters essential goods market with big investment

PRAN-RFL Group, the country's leading business conglomerate, has launched the production of essential goods such as flour, feed, and pulses with an initial investment of Tk750 crore at its newest industrial park in Gazipur's Kaliganj.

Currently, two to three production floors are operating at full capacity, while machinery is being installed in several others, and the remaining floors are under construction.

Company officials say around 900 people have been employed at the facility so far, with plans to create a total of 3,000 jobs once it reaches full operational capacity.

The conglomerate has already begun producing 500 tonnes of flour, refined flour and semolina daily.

Eleash Mridha, managing director of PRAN Group, said, "We have established the new industrial park, Kaliganj Economic Zone (KEZ), on 180 bighas of land. We will produce a variety of products, including flour, edible oil, seed crushing, lentils, salt, starch, spices, beverages, noodles, biscuits, confectionery, poultry feed, and more."

On Saturday, TBS visited PRAN Group's state-of-the-art, ten-story flour mill, constructed on a 21-bigha plot of land in the new economic zone.

The mill, equipped with cutting-edge European technology, is fully automated, from the unloading of raw materials to the packaging and delivery of the final product.

Naser Ahmed, executive director of PRAN Group, said the group is importing wheat from the USA, Canada, Russia, and Ukraine to ensure the highest quality of flour.

He explained that the protein content of wheat from these countries is significantly higher than that from other sourcing nations. Additionally, PRAN plans to source wheat from local regions, including Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Dinajpur, and Panchagarh.

He stated that to ensure the quality of the product, the flour production process is conducted in multiple stages within the factory.

Initially, the directly imported wheat is transferred from the lighter vessel to the silo. The facility is equipped with six silos, each with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes, as well as three silos with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes for the storage of raw materials. Additionally, plans are in place to install six more silos, he said.

To maintain the nutritional quality of wheat, the factory has a state-of-the-art laboratory that monitors the standard of flour, according to Naser Ahmed.

He further said the highest demand for flour arises from the restaurant sector, the bakery industry, and the manufacturing of diverse food products. Additionally, there is a significant demand for flour for cooking purposes at home.

Company officials say that PRAN has begun its production journey by distributing 50-kg bags of flour to wholesalers and retailers. Packaging of one- and two-kg bags of flour and refined flour has started on a trial basis, and PRAN-branded products will soon be available nationwide.

Eleash Mridha said, "We have invested around Tk110 crore so far in the installation of machinery and construction of buildings. The capacity is expected to double soon."

According to market insiders, the country's flour mills require 70 to 75 lakh tonnes of wheat annually, with a large portion imported and around 10 to 12 lakh tonnes sourced locally. The flour market, valued at around Tk20,000 crore, is growing at an annual rate of 8-10%.

Around 75% of the flour demand comes from businesses and restaurants, while the remaining 25% is for household use.

Currently, the market leaders in the consumer goods sector in the country include TK Group, Meghna Group of Industries, City Group, Bashundhara Group, S Alam Group, and Abul Khair Group.

According to a 2022 report by HSBC Global Research, Bangladesh is expected to become the ninth-largest consumer market globally by 2030, surpassing the United Kingdom and Germany.