3rd shipment of US wheat reaches Ctg port

The third consignment of US wheat purchased by the food ministry under a government-to-government (G2G) deal reached Chattogram port yesterday.

The shipment, carried by MV WF Artemis, contains 58,359 tonnes of wheat and is part of the second G2G contract for importing a total of 220,000 tonnes, according to a press release from the food ministry.

Sampling and testing of the wheat stored on board the vessel have already begun. Once quality checks are complete, port and food department officials will take steps to expedite the unloading and distribution of the grain, the ministry said.

With the latest shipment, the total arrival of US wheat purchased by the government now stands at more than 1.72 lakh tonnes.

The shipment falls under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Directorate General of Food and the US Department of Agriculture, under which Bangladesh will import 220,000 tonnes of wheat from the United States.

Earlier, the food ministry signed another G2G contract with a US agency and imported an additional 220,000 tonnes of wheat, aimed at ensuring food security as well as supporting Bangladesh’s trade relations with the US and narrowing the bilateral trade imbalance, which currently favours Bangladesh.

In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the food ministry imported 466,000 tonnes of wheat, primarily for use in various social safety net and food assistance programmes.