STAR BUSINESS DESK

Pran, an agro-processor of the country and a subsidiary of Pran-RFL Group, has set a target to procure 12,000 tonnes of tomatoes for manufacturing tomato-based products, including sauce and ketchup, for the season.

The conglomerate has started collecting and pulping tomatoes at Pran Agro Ltd factories in Natore and the Barind (Varendra) Industrial Park in Rajshahi at the end of January.

It will continue till the availability of the tomatoes, a press release said.

Pran is collecting those tomatoes from its contract farmers.

The company has around 10,500 contract farmers in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Bogura, Pabna, Natore, Khulna, and some other districts across the country.

“Lots of tomatoes are cultivated in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Natore, and surrounding districts from where we have started collecting and pulping tomatoes in full swing like previous years,” said Sarowar Hossain, general manager of Barind Industrial Park.

Pran exports its sauce and ketchup to many countries, including India, Malaysia, the UAE, the USA, Italy and Sweden.