The government has decided to procure 12.50 lakh tonnes of Boro rice in the upcoming Boro season to increase its buffer stock. Besides, it will also procure 50,000 tonnes of wheat. The decision was taken at the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) meeting held at the food ministry yesterday. Agriculture minister Dr Abdur Razzaque, disaster management and relief minister Dr Enamur Rahman, health minister Zahid Malik, food minister Shadhan Chandra Majumder and other  senior officials attended the meeting.

Although the food ministry was planning to buy local Boro rice from farmers at Tk. 39 per kg this year, the FPMC eventually decided to buy the rice for Tk. 36 a kg, keeping similarity with the Aman procurement price, after estimating the production cost of Boro at Tk. 34 a kg.

After the meeting, food minister Shadhan Mujumder told reporters that the FPMC's decision was reached in consideration of the estimates of the agriculture ministry.  The agriculture ministry estimated that the production costs of paddy and rice were Tk. 23.50 and Tk. 34 a kg, respectively.

The food minister said that the Directorate General of Food (DG Food) would start buying Boro rice and paddy from April 25  from local farmers and rice millers. “It will buy 11 lakh metric tonnes of rice, both boiled and Atap varieties, and 1.50 lakh tonnes of paddy,” he noted.

According to the estimation, 1.50 lakh tonnes of paddy are equivalent to 1 lakh tones of rice. The paddy price was fixed at Tk. 26 per kg this year, estimating its production cost of Tk. 23.50 per kg, the food minister said. He also said the authorities concerned would buy boiled rice for Tk. 36 a kg, while Atap rice would be bought for Tk. 35. “The procurement of rice and paddy will start from April 25 this year, instead of May 1 like every year, to ensure that farmers get the proper price for their grown crops,” the minister added. He said that the FPMC also approved the decision to buy 50,000 tonnes of wheat from local markets this year, considering its bumper production.

The wheat harvesting will start soon, he said, adding that the government will buy wheat to ensure the farmer’s incentives and proper prices this year. Usually, the government meets ithe domestic demand for wheat by importing the crop from different countries.

According to the food minister, the department concerned under the food ministry had bought nine lakh tonnes of rice and 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy last year. The government currently has 12.97 lakh tonnes of rice and 1.61 lakh tonnes of wheat in stock, Majumder said in reply to a query.

He also said that his ministry was planning to construct separate 'paddy silos' in the country.