From Our Correspondent, CHATTOGRAM: After a gap of more than seven and a half years, high-quality corn from the United States has returned to the Bangladeshi market, creating renewed optimism in the poultry and animal feed sectors.
Unloading of a massive shipment of 57,855 tonnes of US corn began on Wednesday at 11:30 am at the Confidence Cement jetty of Sadarghat in Chattogram Port.
The consignment, imported from the United States, is expected to provide a significant boost to the country’s poultry, livestock, and feed industries at a time when demand for corn continues to rise sharply.
The shipment has been jointly imported by three leading players in the animal feed sector: Nahar Agro Group, Paragon Group, and Nourish Poultry and Hatchery Limited.
The cargo, valued at around Tk 175 crore or 14.2 million US dollars, arrived in Bangladesh aboard the vessel MV Beltokyo from the Port of Vancouver in Washington State.
Prior to this, the last recorded import of US corn into Bangladesh was in 2018 by AG Agro Limited.
Despite its superior quality, US corn has emerged as price-competitive in the global market, even outperforming Brazil in terms of cost. According to customs data, US corn has been imported at 246 dollars per tonne, while Brazilian corn is priced between 251 and 260 dollars per tonne.
Industry insiders believe that the comparatively lower price of US corn could help reduce feed production costs in the local market. This, in turn, may contribute to stabilising prices of poultry products such as eggs and chicken, offering relief to consumers.
Bangladesh’s demand for corn has been increasing rapidly every year. The country currently requires approximately 6.5 to 7.0 million tonnes of corn annually.
Around 80 to 85 percent of both locally produced and imported corn is used in the production of feed for poultry, fish, and livestock, making it a key ingredient in the supply of animal protein. In addition, the starch industry relies heavily on corn as a raw material for producing glucose and starch used in textiles and pharmaceuticals.
The food processing sector has also seen growing use of corn due to the rising popularity of popcorn, chips, and cornflour.
At present, Bangladeshi farmers produce about 4.5 to 5.0 million tonnes of corn each year. The remaining shortfall of 2.0 to 2.5 million tonnes is met through imports, mainly from India, Brazil, and Argentina.
The re-entry of the United States into the Bangladeshi corn market has added a new dimension to import diversification.
Speaking at an event titled “The Return of US Corn to Bangladesh,” organised on the occasion of the unloading, Erin Covert, Agricultural Attaché at the US Embassy, said the corn shipment belongs to the 2025–26 crop season. She assured stakeholders of the high quality of US corn and its reliable and consistent supply.
Importers said the corn is being unloaded from the large vessel onto smaller ships at the outer anchorage before being transported to warehouses.
The shipment has been exported by United Grain Corporation of the United States and is expected to serve as a dependable source of nutrition for Bangladesh’s poultry and livestock sectors.
