PRAN Dairy Limited and US-based international organization ACDI/VOCA have signed an agreement to strengthen dairy development in the Southern part of the country.  The deal was signed to help the dairy sector in the Southern districts under the USAID-funded ‘Feed the Future Bangladesh Nutrition program’ run by ACDI/VOCA.  PRAN Group Managing Director Eleash Mridha and Chief of Party of the project Muhammad Nurul Amin Siddiquee signed the deal at PRAN Dairy's head office in the capital on Thursday, the company said in a statement.   Read: PRAN-RFL targets $2 billion export by 2030 It said PRAN Dairy will work on a variety of activities under the agreement including assisting farmers to increase milk production and milk procurement, providing dairy producers with farm management training, supplying milk in the formal market and promoting safe milk production and consumption in Southern Bangladesh.   The activities will be conducted in several districts including Jashore, Khulna, Kushtia, Narail, Satkhira, Faridpur, Barishal, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi.   ACDI/VOCA will help PRAN Dairy through financing and guidelines.    Read Upay, Pran-RFL sign agreement on salary disbursement, merchant payment

Pran Dairy has continued collecting milk from its contractual dairy farmers amid the nationwide lockdown – put in place to curb Covid-19. As Covid-19 cases and fatalities have been on an upswing in the country, the dairy processor is creating awareness among the farmers so that they can supply milk to the collection centres, following proper health guidelines.       Maksudur Rahman, assistant general manager (operation) of Pran Dairy, said: "We are collecting milk from our 12,000 contractual farmers regularly." Read Lockdown: Sirajganj dairy farmers in trouble again "Dairy farmers cannot sell milk now as hotels and sweet shops are closed. However, we are collecting all of the milk that the farmers are delivering to our centres." He also said Pran has five hubs in Chatmohar of Pabna, Gurudaspur of Natore, Shahjadpur and Baghabari of Sirajganj and Rangpur; there are 101 collection centres under the hubs. "Recently, we have taken steps to increase the number of our collection centre in the southern region. Also, we have set up some collection centres in Satkhira and also started collecting milk from there. Farmers are supplying milk at the collection and chilling centres, maintaining social distancing and following health guidelines," Maksudur said. Read Coronavirus: PRAN Dairy collects 2 lac liters of milk from farmers Kamruzzaman Kamal, marketing director of Pran-RFL Group, said: "We are being able to provide products to the customers, thanks to the government's decision to keep the supply of agriculture, dairy and other essential products normal." "The demand for milk, generally, increases during Ramadan. So, we have introduced home delivery facilities for milk and dairy products," he said in a media release.  Read PRAN Milk Powder launches ‘Amar Little Star’ campaign

PRAN Milk powder has launched the ‘Amar Little Star’ campaign for children.

PRAN Dairy Limited awarded its 15 dairy farmers aiming to encourage them for producing safe milk through proper firm management.