PRAN, Land O` Lakes sign MoU to boost dairy sector

Staff Correspondent, DHAKA, Apr 7: PRAN Dairy Limited and Land O` Lakes Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to boost the Bangladesh`s dairy sector.

Under a project- Bangladesh Dairy Enhancement Project- Land O`Lakes and PRAN Dairy will jointly invest six million US-dollars to increase dairy farmers` milk production in Khulna and Rajshahi divisions.

PRAN-RFL Group`s Director of Corporate Finance Uzma Chowdhury and Land O`Lakes Bangladesh Dairy Enhancement Project Chief of Party Geoff Walker signed the agreement on behalf of their organizations at the PRAN-RFL Group corporate headquarters recently.

The signing ceremony which was attended by Director of PRAN Group Elias Mridha and PRAN Dairy Chief of Dairy Extension Dr. Rakibur Rahman.

Bangladesh Dairy Enhancement Project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Food for Progress Initiative, is one of several similar initiatives aimed at enhancing the dairy sector in Bangladesh.

It aims to reach out to 17,000 rural farmers through value addition to the milk supply chain.

"In this way, the project will substantially increase food producers` incomes and provide farmers with the technical assistance they need to grow and develop in the future", said Geoff Walker.

The project will be implemented in two districts covering about 60 villages through 40 village milk collection centers.

risingbd/correspondent/mukul