BANGLADESH — Turkey-based supplier of grain milling and handling system technologies Alapala has completed the installation of a new flour milling for Dhaka, Bangladesh-based business conglomerate, SKS Holding.
The Sena Flour Mill raises the number of turnkey projects that the Turkish manufacturer has completed in the South Asian country to six.
Alapala was in charge of the entire project including process design, manufacturing, project management, installation and commissioning services.
The new mill has capacity of 300 tpd and is the largest in SKS portfolio of milling plants which are now three in number boasting of a combine production capacity of 430tpd.
The Sena mill processes imported wheat to produce different types of flour for the domestic market including Maida and Atta flour as well as Sooji, bran and other byproducts.
The flour mill is managed by an advanced automation system that provides a centralized monitoring ability of the entire process from the wheat intake to flour packaging. There is also the ability for generating very detailed reports (production figures, extraction, etc.).
The remote connection feature of the system enables the Alapala after-sales team to access the mill whenever technical assistance is required, including inspection, error diagnosis, calibration and troubleshooting.
Bangladesh wheat flour price soars to record high
SKS new mill comes at a time when wheat flour prices are at a record high in Bangladesh as supply and private stocks of the grain slumped in the domestic market in the wake of a dip in imports since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Retail prices of wheat flour, which is consumed by many as flatbread or “ruti” in Bangla, hit Tk 50.10 per kilogramme in Dhaka in September this year, the highest since July 2008, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Retailers in September sold loose wheat flour at Tk 54 to Tk 55 per kilogramme in Dhaka, which was 10 per cent higher than that a month ago and 62 per cent above the prices a year ago, shows market prices data compiled by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
Importers and processors said the prices of wheat, used extensively by biscuit and bakery makers, soared driven by increased prices in the international market, rising cost of the US dollar and depleting stocks.
The situation turned worse after India, which became a major source of wheat for Bangladesh’s private sector since 2020, restricted the export of grain to contain prices in its local market in May 2022.
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