This silo will be capable of preserving grains for two to three years in an automatic temperature- and humidity-controlled environment

In order to store wheat for long periods without chemical and pesticide intervention and maintaining nutritional quality, the government is funding the establishment of a warehouse with modern amenities at the Concrete Wheat Silo Campus, located on the banks of the Karnaphuli river in Chittagong.

The warehouse will have the capacity of storing 114,300 metric tonnes of wheat at a time. The silo will be constructed jointly by Bangladesh-based Confidence Infrastructure Limited and USA-based GSI Group LLC.

The foundation of the modern steel silo was marked by a ceremony, where Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder was present as chief guest and Food Secretary Md Ismiel Hossain was present as a special guest.

The Modern Food Storage Facilities Project is co-funded by the Government of Bangladesh and the World Bank. The construction of the silo will be supervised by the Directorate General of Food.

This silo will be capable of preserving grains for two to three years in an automatic temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. Moreover, wheat preserved in the silo will not require chemical or pesticide interventions to ensure quality control, which is not possible in traditionally used silos.

At the ceremony, Sadhan said: “Development of the nation is not possible without ensuring food security. As a part of this process, we have decided to install modern silos to preserve grains so that at any given time and in any given circumstance, our people have access to adequate food supplies. We will continue undertaking various initiatives to ensure our food security.”

Ismiel praised the timely initiative of the government and expressed strong hope that as a result of such steps, in the near future, food security in Bangladesh will be further strengthened, especially during times of crisis.

He also called upon the food ministry as well as everyone else to continue working together to ensure the food security of the nation.

In the silo campus, 5 acres of unused, low-lying land has been developed for the construction of the silo. Confidence Infrastructure Limited and GSI Group LLC signed an agreement with the Directorate General of Food in April of this year to construct the warehouse in Chattogram.

According to the agreement, the construction of the silo will be completed by March of 2024.