Food grain maritime logistics
Bangladesh grows only a fraction of the wheat it eats, so every season the gap comes in by sea. Government cargoes arrive under Directorate General of Food tenders and G2G deals, and private millers import the rest. Big bulk carriers usually lighten at the outer anchorage before the cargo reaches silos and jetties at Chattogram and Mongla. AMS keeps that chain moving and makes sure every tonne is accounted for.
What DG Food contracts ask of the vessel
| Point | Wheat (bulk) | Parboiled rice (bagged) |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery basis | CIF liner out: stevedoring, overside handling and lighterage on the seller | CIF liner out, same cost split |
| Ports | Chattogram 60% · Mongla 40% | Chattogram 60% · Mongla 40% |
| Vessel | Geared bulk carrier, maximum 25 years, able to reach the berths; no transshipment | Geared vessel, maximum 25 years; full particulars to the buyer on nomination |
| Receipt | Grain silo in bulk, or jetty in 48–50 kg gunny bags filled by the seller's stevedores | New 50 kg PP woven bags, machine double-stitched |
| Quantity | 100% weighment; Final Discharge Report within 7 days of completion | Quantity and number of bags fixed by the Final Discharge Report |
| Quality | Joint hatch-wise samples tested by IDTS labs; BARI as referee | Joint sampling and IDTS testing |
| Demurrage | Demurrage and despatch do not apply | Demurrage and despatch do not apply |
| Shipment period | Within 40 days of L/C opening | Within 40 days of L/C opening; at least 50% within 25 days |
| Payment | 90% after at least 50% of the B/L quantity is received; 10% on the FDR | 90% after at least 50% of the B/L quantity is received; 10% on the FDR |
Summarised from recent Bangladesh government tender schedules and contracts (2024–2026) for general information. Terms change between tenders and packages. Always work from your own contract, and ask us if anything is unclear.
No demurrage clause does not mean no cost
Because demurrage does not apply under DG Food terms, the owner's waiting time is the seller's problem. A slow lighter programme or a quality hold at the first hatch eats straight into the seller's freight economics. Speed and clean records matter even more here.
How a government grain call runs
- 01
Arrival notice
At least 5 days before arrival, notices go to DG Food and the Controllers of Movement and Storage in Chattogram and Khulna, naming the ship's agent in Bangladesh, ETA and stowage plan.
- 02
Primary sampling
Buyer and seller representatives draw three sets of samples from each hatch for the IDTS laboratory. If the result fails the specification, the L/C cannot be negotiated.
- 03
Lighterage and discharge
Lightening at the outer anchorage to reach permissible draft, then discharge to silo or jetty with continuous joint sampling.
- 04
Weighment and tally
Weighment at the silo or jetty, tallied jointly. Daily discharge reports are signed by the seller's representative.
- 05
Final Discharge Report
FDR signed within 7 days of completion. It fixes the delivered quantity and the balance payment.
- 06
Claims window
Provisional claims within 30 days of unloading, final claims within 45 days. A clean record shortens both.
Risks we watch
| Risk point | What we do about it |
|---|---|
| Quality hold at first hatch | We press for early, well-witnessed joint sampling and keep the seller's sample set sealed and secure. |
| Rain and moisture | Hatches closed during rain and stoppages recorded, because moisture limits are strict (13.5% maximum for wheat in recent contracts). |
| Quantity differences | Daily tallies checked against draft surveys and lighter figures, so any difference is explained before the FDR. |
| Lighter availability | Early lighter coordination at the outer anchorage to avoid idle hatches. |
| Bags and stitching | Bag count, fill weight and stitching checked at the jetty. Over-use of bags is charged to the seller. |
Grain terms, in brief
- CIF liner out
- Seller pays cargo, insurance and freight, including discharge from the ship's hold.
- IDTS
- DG Food's Inspection, Development & Technical Services laboratories, which test arriving cargo.
- FDR
- Final Discharge Report. The signed record of quantity delivered, binding on both parties.
- Draft survey
- Calculating the cargo weight from the vessel's draft readings before and after discharge.
- Lighterage
- Discharging into smaller vessels at anchorage, which carry cargo upriver or to berths.
- Phytosanitary certificate
- An official certificate that plant cargo meets the importing country's plant health rules.