Pran to set up another industrial park in Natore

Pran-RFL Group plans to set up a second industrial park in Natore and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has assured the group chairman of providing gas supplies to it, said the conglomerate's marketing director, Kamruzzaman Kamal, yesterday.

The park will be used to manufacture noodles, spices and mustard oil and process fish, creating employment for 1,000 people, he told a programme at the existing industrial park marking its 24th founding anniversary.

Situated around 200 kilometres northwest of the capital, the park of the group's concern Pran Agro has units to manufacture spices, mustard oil, vermicelli, ketchup, jelly, pickles, chutney, noodles, mayonnaise, chocolates and chips.

About 22,000 people in Natore are directly and indirectly making a living through the park, including around 13,000 farmers growing mango, tomato, pulses, peanuts, chilies and milk based on contracts, said Kamal.

Around 5,000 more farmers will be brought under contract farming for new produce such as aromatic rice, turmeric and cassava, he said.

"There is a huge demand for products manufactured by Pran-RFL Group, including in 145 countries," he said.

"Due to a continuous increase in demand, we are increasing production capacity. More investment will come once the gas is available," said Kamal.

The socioeconomic conditions of Natore have improved due to the group's overall activities and the group is providing huge amounts of revenue to the government every year, which is accelerating the economic development of the country, he added.