The second shipmen of white rice from Vietnam arrived at Chittagong Port yesterday. The ship, carrying 27,000 tonnes of rice that the government purchased from Vietnam, anchored at the Kutubdia outer anchorage of Chittagong Port Monday, said Jahirul Islam, Controller of Movement and Storage of the Department of Food (DoF), Chittagong. He said the third consignment would arrive on Friday.

Of the imported rice, 60 per cent would be unloaded at Chittagong Port and rest would be unloaded at Mongla Port, said the DoF sources.

The government has purchased 2,50,000 tonnes of rice including 2,00,000 tonnes of white rice at a price of $430 per tonne and 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice at a rate of $470 per tonne from Vietnam to replenish reserves and rein in on the prices of the staple food item.

The country’s rice stock has hit a five year low, at 1,93,000 tonnes, in courtesy of the recent floods in haor areas that damaged harvest in hundreds of acres of land.

The government on June 20 decided to waive tax on the import of rice to 18 per cent from 28 per cent amid the hike in rice prices.

The ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of white rice in the first consignment reached Chittagong Port on July 13. However, the unloading activities are yet to start because of the shortage of lighter vessels.

Abdul Hossain, Managing Director of Uni Shipping, said, “The berthing schedule was taken to berth the ship at jetty on Tuesday. The unloading of rice is supposed to start on that day.”

“The rice will be kept at two CSDs (Central Storage Depots) in Halishahar and Dewanhat area of Chittagong. The capacity of the CSDs is 1,80,000 tonnes. Moreover, the imported rice from Vietnam will be kept at warehouses of Dhaka and Sylhet divisions. As per demand, the rice will be sent to other parts of the country from the warehouses,” Jahirul Islam said.