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The farmers were showing interest to harvest cassava with the assistance of PRAN, said a press release.
Cassava is a root crop which is planted in fallow lands and hilly areas with a little cost and labor which in Bangladesh, is popularly known as `Shimul Alu’.
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Mahatab Uddin, Chief Operating Officer at PRAN Agro Business, said “PRAN introduced contract farming of cassava in 2014. The conglomerate has been encouraging the farmers to grow the new crop under its contract farming. Through the cassava project, the hilly and fallow lands are being used and the famers are also being benefitted economically.”
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He also said “Till December last year, we have collected 5000 tons of cassava. Farmers are now showing interest to cultivate cassava because they are being benefitted economically and getting more crops.”
The Chief Operating Officer also said “PRAN’s contractual farmers have harvested cassava around 5500 acres of land this season and our aim is to collect 30000 tons of cassava from the land.”
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Kamruzzaman Kamal, Marketing Director at PRAN-RFL Group, said “PRAN has a cassava processing plant in Habiganj Industrial Park under its sister concern Sylvan agriculture Limited where sixty thousand tons of cassava can be processed in a year.”
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“PRAN is manufacturing starch from Cassava and the starch is now being widely used in garment, pharmaceuticals and processed food industries. Besides, it can be used as a boiled food and animal foods. So, people can cultivate cassava in fallow lands around their house and it will to help our economy.”, he said.