Govt to procure 10.5 lakh tonnes rice in Boro season

The government has decided to procure 10.5 lakh tonnes of Boro rice from local markets during the upcoming Boro season.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the food planning and monitoring unit, held at the Secretariat yesterday (Saturday). The government has set a target of 1.9 crore tonnes of Boro production this year.

Finance minister AMA Muhith, agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, food minister Qamrul Islam and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting.

“We have decided to procure nine lakh tonnes of rice at Tk. 38 per kg and 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy at Tk. 26 per kg during the upcoming Boro season from local markets. The procurement of rice will begin on May 2 and continue till August 31,” Qamrul Islam told reporters after the meeting.

The food minister said farmers have spent Tk. 24 to produce one kg of paddy and Tk. 36 on one kg of rice this year. “The production cost was Tk. 22 per kg paddy and Tk. 31 per kg of rice last year. Of the nine lakh tonnes of rice, eight lakh tonnes will be parboiled and one lakh tonnes of ‘atap’ (sun drying) rice, to be procured at Tk. 37 per kg,” he added.

Sources in the food ministry said the government had decided to procure eight lakh tonnes of rice at Tk. 34 per kg from local markets last year. But the government had failed to meet its target on account of the high price of rice and the department had been able to procure only 3,37,525 tonnes of rice last year within the stipulated period, the source said.

The present total stocks of food are 12.98 lakh tonnes at government warehouses across the country, said sources in the directorate-general of food. Of the total stockpile, 9.69 lakh tonnes are of rice and 3.29 lakh tonnes are of wheat.

Coarse rice is now being sold at Tk. 42–45 per kg, medium-quality rice at Tk. 50–55 per kg and fine rice at Tk. 64–70 per kg in different local markets.

 

 

Govt to procure 10.5 lakh tonnes rice in Boro season

The government has decided to procure 10.5 lakh tonnes of Boro rice from local markets during the upcoming Boro season. The decision was taken at a meeting of the food planning and monitoring unit, held at the Secretariat yesterday (Saturday). The government has set a target of 1.9 crore tonnes of Boro production this year. Finance minister AMA Muhith, agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, food minister Qamrul Islam and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting. We have decided to procure nine lakh tonnes of rice at Tk. 38 per kg and 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy at Tk. 26 per kg during the upcoming Boro season from local markets. The procurement of rice will begin on May 2 and continue till August 31, Qamrul Islam told reporters after the meeting. The food minister said farmers have spent Tk. 24 to produce one kg of paddy and Tk. 36 on one kg of rice this year. The production cost was Tk. 22 per kg paddy and Tk. 31 per kg of rice last year. Of the nine lakh tonnes of rice, eight lakh tonnes will be parboiled and one lakh tonnes of atap (sun drying) rice, to be procured at Tk. 37 per kg, he added. Sources in the food ministry said the government had decided to procure eight lakh tonnes of rice at Tk. 34 per kg from local markets last year. But the government had failed to meet its target on account of the high price of rice and the department had been able to procure only 3,37,525 tonnes of rice last year within the stipulated period, the source said. The present total stocks of food are 12.98 lakh tonnes at government warehouses across the country, said sources in the directorate-general of food. Of the total stockpile, 9.69 lakh tonnes are of rice and 3.29 lakh tonnes are of wheat. Coarse rice is now being sold at Tk. 4245 per kg, medium-quality rice at Tk. 5055 per kg and fine rice at Tk. 6470 per kg in different local markets.