Potato flakes maker eyes brisk exports

A worker, top, shows potato flakes and some others, bottom, are seen busy at a processing unit of Patwary Potato Flakes in Chandpur. The company says it plans to export over 100 tonnes of the product this year.Photo: STARA Correspondent, Chandpur

A Bangladeshi company plans to export more than 100 tonnes of potato flakes this year.

Patwary Potato Flakes Ltd, established by Abdul Awal Patwary in Chandpur, will export the product mainly to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, UK and Germany.

The company that started its operation in November 2004 produces 7,200 tonnes of potato flakes a year.

Potato flakes are used as dry food and around 150 types of food can be prepared from the flakes. Flakes are a key characteristic of instant mashed potatoes. Firms that manufacture potato chips use flakes as primary raw materials for their products. Potato flakes or granules are also used as a base for potato pancakes.

Patwary Potato produces flakes from dried potatoes grown under the company's direct assistance at grower level. Contract farmers are provided with seeds and training in technology by the company, officials said.

“We took 107 acres on lease for potato farming in the char area of Meghna in Chandpur and another 670 acres from Rangpur Sugar Mills in Gaibandha,” said Md Jamal Uddin, a director of Patwary Potato.

“Last year we paid to farmers Tk 26 for potato per kg,” said MA Hashem, another director of the company.

The company exported a huge amount of flakes to Switzerland, Malaysia, Netherlands, Germany, Sri Lanka and other countries last year. It exported seven tonnes of potato flakes to Belgium alone, an official said.

Patwary Potato Flakes imported processing machinery from the Netherlands. All processing is done under the guidance of foreign and Bangladeshi experts, according to its website.

Patwary Potato Flakes has a cold storage to store more than 20,000 tonnes of potato to use all year for processing potato flakes.