ANM MOHIBUB UZ ZAMAN

For customers seeking fresh, high-quality produce at fair prices, Apon Family Mart has set a new benchmark. Its advanced supply chain system ensures that fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, rice, and other essentials reach store shelves within hours of harvest, cutting out middlemen and keeping both farmers and consumers satisfied.

Md Rashedul Islam, head of Procurement at Apon Family Mart, explained, “We efficiently manage the entire process from sourcing raw materials to delivering products to customers through an improved supply chain system. As a result, product quality has increased, wastage has decreased, costs are under control, and middlemen’s dominance has been reduced.”

From Farmers’ Fields to Customers’ Hands

In Narsingdi, farmers begin harvesting vegetables such as snake gourd, pointed gourd, bottle gourd, beans, cucumber, okra, bitter gourd, red amaranth, and spinach at dawn.

Within hours, crates of fresh produce are on their way to the Bashundhara outlet in Dhaka, ready to stock shelves by 7am.

Rashedul said, “We’re building a system where every step – from sourcing to delivery – is transparent and controlled. Today’s customers care not just about price, but freshness, origin, and quality.”

Contract Farming and Direct Relationships

Apon Family Mart also books farmland in advance through contract farming in districts including Munshiganj and Bogura.

“We pay farmers in advance for specific crops. Even if market prices fluctuate, we buy at the agreed rate,” Rashedul noted.

About 15-16 farmers in Bogura and 10-12 in Munshiganj work regularly with the company, while Narsingdi serves as the hub for vegetable sourcing, with 40-50 farmers supplying produce under constant supervision.

Ensuring Freshness and Reducing Waste

Timing is crucial. Harvested vegetables leave Narsingdi at dawn and arrive in Dhaka in time for morning and afternoon restocks.

Reusing the same crates from farm to store avoids repackaging, maintaining quality.

Fish sourcing follows similar care. Daily purchases from Bhairab and Sirajganj undergo two-stage quality checks before reaching Dhaka, with any defective items sold at lower prices locally to minimise waste.

Fair Prices for Farmers, Trust for Consumers

By removing middlemen, farmers now receive fair payment, while customers enjoy affordable, high-quality products.

Around 30-35 staff oversee the entire supply chain, from field to store, ensuring freshness, quality, and trust across all three Bashundhara outlets.

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The writer is a Senior Staff Correspondent at the Daily Sun