S Alam Group to import 1.2m tonnes of daily essentials for Ramadan

S Alam Group will import 1.2 million metric tonnes of daily essentials to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential consumer goods and to keep prices affordable for the month of Ramadan.

With an investment of more than hundreds of millions of dollars, the effort accounts for approximately 50 per cent of the nation's total food demand for Ramadan. Sugar, edible oil, wheat, lentils, and chickpeas are among the imported products, according to a press release.

S Alam Group fulfills 30, 20 and 35 per cent of the current domestic market demand of oil, wheat and sugar respectively. The company is working diligently to increase the supply to 50 per cent this year. Like previous years, S Alam Group has taken initiatives to import huge volume of daily necessities during Ramadan to benefit the masses, it said.

The country's annual sugar demand is 2.4 million metric tonnes, with the month of Ramadan alone accounting for 272 thousand metric tonnes. S Alam Group is importing 641,300 metric tonnes of sugar, which is more than twice the demand during Ramadan, the release also said.

The yearly demand for edible oil in Bangladesh is about 2.2 million metric tons. Out of this, the Ramadan demand is 300 thousand metric tonnes. S Alam Group is importing 258 thousand metric tonnes of edible oil, 86 per cent of the demand during Ramadan, to ensure market stability, it also said.

The annual demand for wheat in the country's market is about 6.3 million metric tonnes (excluding domestic production). Consumers require about 528 thousand metric tonnes of wheat every month. S Alam Group is importing 178 thousand metric tonnes of wheat, 34 per cent of the demand during Ramadan, to ensure market stability.

Bangladesh’s demand for lentils stands at 600 thousand tonnes annually, with a monthly requirement of 50 thousand tonnes. The demand for lentils surges during Ramadan, reaching 100 thousand metric tonnes. S Alam Group is importing 50 thousand metric tonnes of lentils, meeting 50 per cent of the demand during Ramadan.

Similarly, annual chickpea demand is 136 thousand metric tonnes, with the demand during Ramadan standing at 91 thousand metric tonnes. S Alam Group is importing 50 thousand metric tonnes of chickpeas during Ramadan, covering 55 per cent of the demand during Ramadan.

The company is optimistic that these proactive measures will contribute to maintaining affordable prices in the country's market during the Ramadan season, ensuring accessibility for the general populace.

“We have once again undertaken a proactive step of importing essential products in large quantities to meet the overall demand during Ramadan. Some of these imported items are in stock, while several shipments are awaiting clearance. Our commitment aligns with the government's objective of ensuring affordability for the people during Ramadan. In the event of any shortages during the holy month, we remain prepared to take further measures to import additional products.”