Govt focuses on food processing industry to hit export market

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said her government is prioritizing food processing industry to boost export of food items alongside meeting the growing domestic demand.

“If we can add value to food items by processing these, we'll be able to export the items alongside meeting the demand in our country. Now the local market is expanding as the purchasing capacity of people has increased,” she said.

The prime minister said this while laying the foundation stone of Ghorashal Palash Urea Fertilizer Factory in Narsingdi district, with an annual production capacity of nearly 10 lakh metric tons, the country’s largest.

She unveiled the foundation stone of the Tk 10,461-crore project, joining a function from her official residence Ganobhaban through a videoconference. Others concerned were connected with the event from Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here in the capital and the fertilizer project site in Narsingdi.

Besides, the PM opened four other development projects, including the newly constructed 14-storey head office Bhaban of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in the city’s Tejgaon industrial area, from the same function.

 Hasina said the government is paying special attention to the development of the agro products and food processing industry as Bangladesh has gained a huge success in agricultural production.

She said Bangladesh has been able to increase the production of crops, fruits, vegetables, egg, fish and meat through regular research.

“So, we’re taking various steps for it (to develop the food processing industry),” said the prime minister.