PRAN’s goal was to turn Bangladesh from ‘milk deficient country to milk sufficient country’

How has PRAN-RFL Group positioned itself within the dairy and agriculture sectors, and what sets your products apart from competitors?

PRAN is the pioneer in agro and agri businesses where 100,000 farmers are working as contractual farmers with buyback guarantee. PRAN is the first private organisation in the country to have started a dairy hub in Bangladesh. 

Our goal was 'milk deficient country to milk sufficient country'. PRAN is always trying to develop more in agri and agro businesses to increase production with low cost. 

We are different because we are collecting our products from our own contractual farmers and thus ensuring good quality products for our customers at an affordable price. 

Considering evolving consumer preferences and market dynamics, what opportunities and challenges do you foresee in the near future?

Taste of consumers is always changing. So, as a manufacturer, it is our responsibility to adapt with this change and produce products accordingly. 

We try to understand their needs and meet their demands as desired. We think a challenge is always an opportunity. Bangladesh is a small country in terms of land, but population-wise it is not so small. World population is also booming; at present it is about 7.9 billion. 

So, the export market is our prime focus alongside our local market. In Bangladesh, there is a huge amount of unutilised land. We want to utilise those lands for more production, and try to balance the human-to-land ratio. 

Can you elaborate on the technological advancements implemented in your farming operations and manufacturing processes? How do these innovations enhance efficiency, product quality and sustainability across your value chain?

We are always closely observing the technical know-how and modern technology being used in the agriculture sector with the objective to implement those in our production facility.  

As a result, our farmers are able to produce good quality products and increase productivity. Safe food production is possible. All of our factories are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. This gives us support to reduce production loss and maximise production.  

What market insights drive your business strategies and expansion initiatives, both domestically and internationally?

PRAN-RFL Group always tries to offer the best and affordable solution in local and international markets with good quality products. As a result, our consumers can easily consume those, especially the mass consumers. Our strong and organised local and international distribution network as well as worldwide consumers' preference are a great support for us. 

What are your growth projections and strategic priorities for the coming years, particularly in light of investments in new ventures and product diversification?

Bangladesh is progressing with an average GDP of 6% plus; this is very inspiring for us. If it continues like that, it will be great for us. Then we can focus more on exports, and we will consider investing more for capacity building. 

How has the Dairy Hub initiative impacted milk production and the livelihoods of rural farmers in Bangladesh?

As we mentioned earlier that PRAN is the first private organisation to think about the milk industry in this country, we are working on a cross-breeding initiative to improve our dairy industry based on this thought. 

We are working to produce more milk from our cattle. Improvement of dairy farmers' livelihood is another concern for us. We believe that if we can give them a little better life, they are able to give more support to produce more. Alongside, low-cost cattle feed support, training on rearing cattle, and updates about new variation will also help them. So, multiple impacts are there, and we are continuing to work on it.   

Could you share some success stories or significant milestones achieved by the Dairy Hub since its inception?

Sirajganj was the only milk producing district in Bangladesh, but we spread it into different areas like Rangpur, Natore, Pabna, etc. 

We increased milk production by developing different breeds. Farmers' livelihoods have developed as the industry became organised. We started from zero, and now we are the highest milk producing company in Bangladesh. We are playing a vital role to combat nutrition deficiency.  

How does PRAN-RFL Group ensure responsible sourcing practices and minimise its environmental footprint throughout the production process?

Environment-friendly agriculture is always our first priority. We are producing organic fertiliser from our production waste. Ensuring safe food production is our responsibility. We always exercise Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) in our company. 

We are very much concerned about energy saving issues. That's why we implemented solar systems in our factories. Rain water harvesting is our another initiative to preserve water. We have biological ETP in our factories. Tree plantation projects, rooftop gardening in all of our 30 factories, and the country's largest plastic recycling facilities are our other initiatives.

Looking towards the future, what are the long-term goals and aspirations of PRAN-RFL Group? Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you would like to highlight?

We are now a big conglomerate in Bangladesh, but we want to become the largest conglomerate in this world. Representing Bangladesh to the world through PRAN is our dream.

We are coming into poultry, fisheries, feed industry as well as flour and oil processing businesses very soon.