Photo: US Embassy

DHAKA, Jan 7, 2025 (BSS) - The US Embassy in Dhaka today welcomed the arrival of the first shipment of United States (US) corn to Bangladesh since 2018 at Chittagong Port. 
 
The shipment consists of 57,855 metric tons of yellow corn harvested in North and South Dakota and Minnesota during the 2025-26 crop year and shipped from Vancouver of Washington, said a media note issued by the US Embassy here. 
 
This shipment marks the first opportunity in eight years for Bangladeshi feed millers to use high-quality US corn as a source of animal nutrition.
 
The US Embassy Dhaka Agricultural Attach, Erin Covert visited the port to greet the ship along with a consortium of buyers from three major feed milling companies-- Nahar Agro Group, Paragon Group and Nourish Poultry and Hatchery Limited.

During the ceremony, Managing Director (MD) of Nahar Agro Rakibur Rahman Tutul mentioned, "We will be able to meet the demand for corn by importing it from the United States." 

Stating 30 percent of the demand is fulfilled through domestic corn in Bangladesh while the rest needs to be imported, Tutul explained, "Three months ago, we had to purchase corn from the United States of America, which took 45 days to arrive." 

Previously, due to the urgency, corn was imported from India and Brazil, he said, adding, "However, this time, the United States assisted in loading the corn promptly, resulting in a 46-day shipment duration." 

The Nahar Agro official further stated, "The price remains almost the same compared to importing from Brazil. Despite a slightly longer shipping time, we prefer importing from the United States due to the growing relationship. The price per ton has decreased to US$246."
 
"We are honored to be a part of the first shipment of United States corn to Bangladesh in eight years. We appreciate the work of all those involved in making this possible and look forward to supplying Bangladesh with US grains for years to come," an official from the United Grain Corporation (UGC), a major US grain exporter, said.