Serbia keen to invest in food storage industry in Bangladesh

[rainbowrascal]

The European country Serbia has shown its interest to invest in the food storage industry of Bangladesh.

The visiting Serbian Foreign Affairs minister Nikola Selakovic expressed his deep interest in a courtesy call on the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) senior vice-president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu on Thursday morning at a city hotel, said a press release.

During the meeting, the minister said his country's storage companies are one of the best in the world.

Bangladesh can also benefit from Serbia's investment in this sector, he added.

Mentioning that Serbia has free trade agreements with Europe, the Eurasian Economic Union and Turkey, Bangladesh may benefit by establishing joint ventures and export at zero duty to those free trade countries.

He also expressed interest in signing two agreements on double taxation and investment protection and promotion with the government of Bangladesh to increase bilateral trade.

Serbia is also keen to take skilled and semi-skilled manpower from Bangladesh in construction and agriculture sector, the minister added.

At the same time, the minister urged Bangladeshi students to go to Serbia to study agricultural engineering as the country provides world best facilities of its kind.

Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu said that 30 percent of agricultural products are wasted in Bangladesh every year due to lack of packaging, transportation and storage.

The country has cold storage only for potatoes. There are no such facilities in case of other crops.

Serbia's investment in building storage facilities will open up the door of technology transfer, he added.

The two sides also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding between the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the FBCCI soon.

The meeting also discussed import of sunflower seeds, contract cultivation of wheat in Serbia, and establishment of the Serbian Embassy in Dhaka.

Among others, Serbia's assistant minister for Bilateral Relations Vladimir Maric, Foreign Minister's Adviser Ivan Jaksic, FBCCI Vice-President Habib Ullah Dawn, Director Amzad Hossain, Shomi Kaiser, Dr. Nadia Binte Amin, Abul Kasem Khan and Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque were all present at the meeting.

Serbia keen to invest in food storage industry in Bangladesh

The European country Serbia has shown its interest to invest in the food storage industry of Bangladesh. The visiting Serbian Foreign Affairs minister Nikola Selakovic expressed his deep interest in a courtesy call on the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) senior...

www.tbsnews.net

 

[UKBengali]

Why on earth does BD need anyone else for FDI in the food storage industry?

BD companies like Walton manufacture fridges from scratch and have more than enough expertise to roll this out across the country.

 

[Destranator]

This is very welcome news. Any investment in food storage facilities is welcome.
Cold storage is virtually non-existent in BD relative to demand resulting in massive wastage of harvest every year. This is also preventing us from expediting surplus food production for export as we have no where to store food awaiting shipment.

Cold storage facilities would allow us to mechanise and multiply harvest and become a major food exporter besides guaranteeing food security against external shocks from the international market.

 

[Bilal9]

Why on earth does BD need anyone else for FDI in the food storage industry?

BD companies like Walton manufacture fridges from scratch and have more than enough expertise to roll this out across the country.

@UKBengali bhai industrial cold storage technology is different compared to smaller refrigeration processes like commercial chillers.

Though I admit Walton does make larger modular commercial chillers nowadays (even mobile ones) for trucks and office complexes, they did predict this as a burgeoning need locally.

https://eplaza.waltonbd.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=71_412&product_id=3062

There are contractors in Bangladesh who can build you cold storage projects, I don't know why we'd need this from Serbia unless there is definite quality or price advantage. Or Serbia wants to set up production units in Bangladesh for such equipment.

Cold Storage Chiller | Cold Storage Rooms - Frozen Cold Storage - Global Automation Ltd.

Cold Storage Chiller, Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage importer, suppliers in Bangladesh. Get Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage across Bangladesh.

gal.com.bd

 

[Destranator]

There are contractors in Bangladesh who can build you cold storage projects, I don't know why we'd need this from Serbia unless there is definite quality or price advantage. Or Serbia wants to set up production units in Bangladesh for such equipment.

Cold Storage Chiller | Cold Storage Rooms - Frozen Cold Storage - Global Automation Ltd.

Cold Storage Chiller, Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage importer, suppliers in Bangladesh. Get Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage across Bangladesh.

gal.com.bd

Well, clearly these local contractors are not up to the task as we hardly have any cold storage capacity relative to volume of food production.
Lack of such facilities discourage farmers from going "all in" during cultivation. Mechanisation of farming alongside readily available food storage facilities nation wide can revolutionise the food industry. Bangladesh deserves to be a major global food exporter given the generational expertise of our farmers and highly fertile land.
Let the Serbians come in and invest.

 

[bluesky]

This is very welcome news. Any investment in food storage facilities is welcome.
Cold storage is virtually non-existent in BD relative to demand resulting in massive wastage of harvest every year. This is also preventing us from expediting surplus food production for export as we have no where to store food awaiting shipment.

Cold storage facilities would allow us to mechanise and multiply harvest and become a major food exporter besides guaranteeing food security against external shocks from the international market.

I am personally used to seeing or using deep cold storages in Japan. The one I have, stops its outer machine automatically when the temperature reaches -20•C . When the temp reaches -18•C, the motor again activates.

A hot BD needs hundreds or thousands of refrigerators to keep many stable food items in +6•C temperatures.

Since BD has no such technologies to build either deep cold storage or refrigeration plants, so, it is needed to get other countries’ help. In this case, it is Serbia that wants to help us. Most welcome.

Go to any rice or wheat Godown. All are without refrigeration system. At the end of a season the quantity is smaller than when stocked.

It is more that the officials steal the food and sell to the wholesalers than they claim it is mouse that has eaten it.

 

[UKBengali]

@UKBengali bhai industrial cold storage technology is different compared to smaller refrigeration processes like commercial chillers.

Though I admit Walton does make larger modular commercial chillers nowadays (even mobile ones) for trucks and office complexes, they did predict this as a burgeoning need locally.

https://eplaza.waltonbd.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=71_412&product_id=3062

There are contractors in Bangladesh who can build you cold storage projects, I don't know why we'd need this from Serbia unless there is definite quality or price advantage. Or Serbia wants to set up production units in Bangladesh for such equipment.

Cold Storage Chiller | Cold Storage Rooms - Frozen Cold Storage - Global Automation Ltd.

Cold Storage Chiller, Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage importer, suppliers in Bangladesh. Get Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage across Bangladesh.

gal.com.bd

Don't get me wrong. I am not against FDI per se.

Like S Korea and Taiwan did decades ago, BD should only welcome FDI when it either does not have the technology or cannot develop it within a reasonable timeframe and cost.

Anyone that shouts "FDI,FDI, FDI" all the time simply has no clue how countries develop.

High FDI Thailand is stuck in the "middle income trap" while low FDI S Korea is a developed country.

Like I say Walton has the tech across the board for this and there is a massive market in BD due to its huge population and so it should be given contracts from both government and private enterprises to roll this out across the country of 165 million.

Cold storage technology from 7 million population Serbia - lol.

 

[bluesky]

Anyone that shouts "FDI,FDI, FDI" all the time simply has no clue how countries develop.

High FDI Thailand is stuck in the "middle income trap" while low FDI S Korea is a developed country.

And no FDI Bangladesh will remain underdeveloped forever because its people are not genius enough to develop technology better than manufacturing wooden slippers (খড়ম) that we do not see any more recently.

Why do you compare with Thailand which is a bonafide middle income country and BD remains an underdeveloped low income country lacking all sorts of technology input/ output.

Don't write something only to feel good. A writing must be objective.

 

[BananaRepublicUK]

Why on earth does BD need anyone else for FDI in the food storage industry?

BD companies like Walton manufacture fridges from scratch and have more than enough expertise to roll this out across the country.

For the FDI?

We need the foreign currency.

Let’s welcome them.

 

[Destranator]

For the FDI?

We need the foreign currency.

Let’s welcome them.

Forex inflow is not what you want FDI for as the investor will will eventually repatriate more money in the form of income from profits. It is the expertise they bring in. Local companies would then watch, learn and eventually poach skilled workers from the foreign venture to start their own manufacturing/assembly line. This is how garments and electronics manufacturing flourished in Bangladesh. Hope food storage industry explodes in BD. Some people here are too out of touch with Bangladesh to realise what a revolution this could cause to our economy.

 

[UKBengali]

For the FDI?

We need the foreign currency.

Let’s welcome them.

Not the case as they will bring little foreign currency and keep all the tech and repratriate the profits.

Like I say Walton has all the expertise or can develop it with little time and cost in this area.

As @Bilal9 has shown, Walton already does this on a small scale and so they just need to scale up. They have sophisticated enough electronics tech and so can do that side as well in terms of the automation and control.

This is an area where the likes of Walton should absolutely be encouraged to branch into big-time now as BD is ready for widespread cool food storage now.

 

[F-6 enthusiast]

@UKBengali bhai industrial cold storage technology is different compared to smaller refrigeration processes like commercial chillers.

Though I admit Walton does make larger modular commercial chillers nowadays (even mobile ones) for trucks and office complexes, they did predict this as a burgeoning need locally.

https://eplaza.waltonbd.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=71_412&product_id=3062

There are contractors in Bangladesh who can build you cold storage projects, I don't know why we'd need this from Serbia unless there is definite quality or price advantage. Or Serbia wants to set up production units in Bangladesh for such equipment.

Cold Storage Chiller | Cold Storage Rooms - Frozen Cold Storage - Global Automation Ltd.

Cold Storage Chiller, Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage importer, suppliers in Bangladesh. Get Cold Storage Rooms, Frozen Cold Storage across Bangladesh.

gal.com.bd

This could have something to do with Serbian Machinery/Methods/Labs that (I think) meet EU/FDA standards ?
This is relevant if BD is interested in exporting to those regions.

 

[UKBengali]

This could have something to do with Serbian Machinery/Methods/Labs that (I think) meet EU/FDA standards ?
This is relevant if BD is interested in exporting to those regions.

Excellent point.

In this case the Serbs can take the market for food exports to EU and Walton et al the BD domestic market.

 

[Bilal9]

Forex inflow is not what you want FDI for as the investor will will eventually repatriate more money in the form of income from profits. It is the expertise they bring in. Local companies would then watch, learn and eventually poach skilled workers from the foreign venture to start their own manufacturing/assembly line. This is how garments and electronics manufacturing flourished in Bangladesh. Hope food storage industry explodes in BD. Some people here are too out of touch with Bangladesh to realise what a revolution this could cause to our economy.

It has always been true that foreign companies always attach conditions and clauses to FDI contracts in developing countries in Bangladesh. Even when the UN or USAID is involved.

In the case of Bangladesh, all foreign contracts (even Indian ones) specify using parts, technology and above all (beyond normal, expensive!) contractors from their own country so they repatriate all profits even before the project is completed. I remember that when Indians were trying to finish the RAMPAL "Friendship" Power project in the Sundarbans below Khulna, they were suggesting they import bricks from India because it was just a few cents cheaper per 1000 bricks. Almost all well-paid personnel were from India - and it is no different for Thai or Chinese projects.

Only difference is that advanced countries like Japan where wages are too high, they might hire locals, but most of the time, companies like Nihon Koei will hire experts and consultants from middling wage countries like, say India.

This altruistic "foreign assistance" concept hogwash these FDI-offering countries push is so deviate it's evil.

Not singling out friendly countries like Serbia though....

But - in terms of larger diplomacy, you let these advanced countries profit in this way anyway, because you sell them exports, in our case apparel, pharma, electronics. However "FDI assistance projects" from US, UK or EU is almost non-existent nowadays, they are not interested in these projects with piss-poor profits. Plus if there is corruption, it looks bad to their countries' image.

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind - that there is absolutely no kindness, free assistance or altruism involved.

Like we say in the US - there is NO FREE LUNCH....

So - problem being stated, what is the solution??

SOLUTION IS, WE NEED BETTER CONTRACT NEGOTIATORS AND MORE STRINGENT SCRUTINY AND OVERSIGHT OF FOREIGN CONTRACTS, PERIOD.

MAYBE A GOVT. BODY DEDICATED TO THIS MANNED ( OR WOMANNED) BY EX-JUDGES AND FOREIGN CONSULTANTS EXPERIENCED IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS (ELECTRICAL, CIVIL, CHEMICAL PROECTS ETC.) IF ONE DOES NOT EXIST YET.

TRY TO OVER INVOICE INDIAN GOVT. SOMETIME AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH....

ALSO, YOU CANNOT EXPECT RAIL MINISTER IDIOTS TO NOT BUY RAILCAR WASHING EQUIPMENT AT TWICE THE CONTRACT COST COMPARED TO INDIA (SAME EQUIPMENT) COSTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IF YOU DON'T HAVE SCRUTINY PASSING THROUGH A WATCHDOG BODY LIKE THE DUDOK or ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission).

Anti-Corruption Commission (Bangladesh) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The ACC might itself be corrupt, but at least it offers some "Check and Balance" in terms of ministers and higher ups getting away with the loot of a lifetime.

I have to admit that Pakistan and India are at least a lot better than Bangladesh at this. There IS public scrutiny to some extent, unlike what we have in Bangladesh.

 

[F-6 enthusiast]

Excellent point.

In this case the Serbs can take the market for food exports to EU and Walton et al the BD domestic market.

i hope this is the case

although food items exported from BD to Britain are mostly niche items not as universally known or bought as say basmati rice or mangoes.
This could be because the Gov is not able (or willing) to enforce standards or our diplomats sitting on their a**es
there is money to be made,

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however some ppl just cant be bothered