Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said that 8 steel silos are being constructed at eight important places in the country including Patenga in Chattogram. Of these 5 are rice silos, 3 are wheat silos. Besides, construction of 30 paddy silos will start soon. Steel silos of Patenga will play a major role in food preservation of the country.
The Food Minister said this while addressing the chief guest at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the construction of a modern steel silo for wheat with a capacity of 1 lakh 14 thousand 300 metric tons in Patenga on Saturday.
He said, the country has 21 lakh metric tons of food grain storage capacity. The government is working on a target of 35 lakh metric tonnes of food grain stocks by 2025. Mentioning that farmers' wet rice will be dried and stored in silos, the minister said that besides food security, the government procures rice to help farmers. The food minister said that due to the Russia-Ukraine war, global problems are being created. However, there is going to be a compromise through the mediation of Turkey. Ukraine and Russia have made an agreement to export food products which will be a relief for us. It will not be difficult to bring wheat.
District Commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman presided over the event. Member of Parliament Mostafizur Rahman, Food Secretary Md. Ismail Hossain spoke as special guests. Director General of Food Directorate Md Sakhawat Hossain delivered the welcome speech.
Additional Secretary Khurshid Iqbal Rezvi, Project Director of Modern Steel Silo Project Md Rezaul Karim Sheikh, Chattogram Regional Food Officer Md Zahirul Islam, Muktijodha Mahanagar Sangsad Command Commander Freedom fighter Mozaffar Ahmad, Raozan Upazila Parishad Chairman Ehsanul Haidar Chowdhury, Bangladesh Awami were present. Engineer Trina Majumder, District Food Controller Mohammad Abdul Quader and Chattogram Silo Super Faizullah Khan Shibli are members of the sub-committee on cultural affairs of the League.
The construction of Chattogram Wheat Silo, which is being built at a cost of Tk 537.57 crore with World Bank financing, will be completed in July 2024. The silo has a total of 9 silo bins with a capacity of 12,700 metric tons. Without the use of pesticides in all these silo bins, the stored rice can be stored for about 2 years by controlling the humidity and temperature through modern chillers and nitrogen fumigation devices. The delivery and distribution activities of this silo will be conducted by road and sea.
Wheat imported in bulk from abroad through international tenders will be stored in Silo. Stored wheat in bulk form will be stored in other silos inland by rail and sea. Also, wheat in 50 kg sacks will be sent by road and rail for distribution to various LSD and CSD. Confidence Infrastructure Limited, a subsidiary of Confidence Group and GSI Group will manage the construction of steel silos at Patenga.
