Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 22, 2023—To help ensure food security and improve the incomes of more than 123,000 smallholder farmers, especially women, IFC is providing up to $35 million to Tanveer Food Limited (TFL), part of the Meghna Group of Industries (MGI), to promote a resilient rice market in Bangladesh.
The investment marks IFC's first under its Global Food Security Platform (GFSP), a $6 billion global financing facility set up to counter the global food crisis by restoring and improving production to build the foundation for a more resilient global food system.
The investment includes $21 million from IFC's own account as well as a subordinated loan of up to $14 million from the Private Sector Window of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). The funding will help TFL establish a state-of-the-art automated rice mill in the Bogura region, with a processing capacity of 1,000 metric tons per day producing over 170,000 tons of quality packaged rice by 2027. It will also enable the construction of an 80 MTPD rice bran oil plant and a husk-based co-generation plant – for heating and electricity – contributing to climate mitigation and resilience to volatile energy costs during production.
"This investment will allow us to expand the processing, and distribution of rice products in northern Bangladesh, a region that has traditionally been comprised of large number of smallholder farmers growing rice to earn their livelihoods," said Tahmina Binthe Mostafa, Director of MGI. "Driven by the growing demand for packaged rice with increased income and evolving consumer choices, we will contribute to the modernization of Bangladesh's rice milling sector by shifting from traditional husking mills to automated mills, which are key to improving the rice quality and increasing the shelf life of packaged rice."
While Bangladesh is the third largest rice producer in the world, with rice the main staple and a vital source of calories, the country faces acute food security risks triggered by surging food and energy prices due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"In a country like Bangladesh, food security means rice security," said Riccardo Puliti, IFC's Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific. "Through building a state-of-the-art rice milling factory this project will deliver hundreds of jobs and put more money into the pockets of thousands of the country's smallholder farmers. More importantly, this rice project in Bangladesh, along with others in the pipeline, will enable the global food supply market to better withstand price and supply shocks, building a more resilient future for the benefit of consumers and farmers."
The investment will further increase smallholder rice farmers' access to the market, introduce spot payments, shorten storage period of rice, reducing waste, and improve the quality of rice paddy.
IFC will also help the company strengthen its environmental and social standards, aligning its operations with industry best practices including a farmer's training program.
About IFC
IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2022, IFC committed a record $32.8 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
About The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP)
The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) is a global effort that pools donor resources to fund programs focused on increasing agricultural productivity as a way to reduce poverty and increase food and nutrition security. The Private Sector Window, administered by the IFC and supported by the governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, provides long and short-term loans, credit guarantees, capital and technical assistance to private sector companies and financial intermediaries. It links smallholder farmers to markets by improving their access to finance, technology, expertise, and inputs.
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