Only two percent farmers are getting the benefit of the government's direct food grain procurement programme, says a survey report on Boro farmers.

The Bangladesh government has decided to procure 19.5 lakh tonnes of Boro paddy and rice — both boiled and non-boiled — from farmers to ensure fair price of food grains.

Most of the public money is pocketed by the country's rice mill owners and middlemen (popularly known as fariah) due to lack of proper monitoring in the government's procurement policy.

As a result, the businessmen are benefitting instead of the country's farmers, according to a survey report prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP).

The study titled 'Boro Rice Procurement in Bangladesh: Implications for Policy' was conducted with the consent of the Ministry of Agriculture and financial support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The main objectives of the study was to—assess to what extent Boro farmers were able to sell their paddy to the government at the announced procurement prices; evaluate the efficacy of the direct paddy procurement from farmers by the government, in order to help farmers overcome low paddy prices in the future; and examine ways to improve the foodgrain procurement system. This report presents IFPRI’s study findings and identifies policy options to address the study objectives.

IFPRI Country Director Akhter U. Ahmed and its Associate Research Fellow of Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division M. Mehrab Bakhtiar made the study report after consulting with around 1,400 people of 43 highest Boro growing districts of the country.

While talking to The Independent, Akhter U. Ahmed said they had submitted the study report to the ministries of agriculture and food last Sunday.
"The high officials concerned have assured us of taking necessary measures in this regard," he added.

Akhter U. Ahmed said the report also suggested that the government should buy 31 lakh tonnes of paddy directly from the farmers instead of buying rice from the millers.

"If the government buys paddy directly from the farmers they will get its benefit," he said adding that it would also help the government to ensure fair price of paddy during the harvest period.

When contacted, Food Ministry's Secretary Dr Nazmanara Khanum told this correspondent that they had received the study report of the IFPRI, an international agency.

“We are planning to analyze the report and take necessary measures in this regard. However, we will need the consent of the country's Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC)," she said.

The recommendation of the study will then be placed before the committee for its approvals, she added.

She also informed that they had already taken measures to buy paddy directly from the farmers.

"Earlier the government bought rice from the rice millers. Now, the Food Ministry is buying 8 lakh tonnes of paddy directly from the farmers to ensure fair price. If it's viable the government must consider it," she said.

Boro paddy, a dry season irrigated crop, is planted from December to early February and harvested between April and May.

In 2018-19, the total production of rice in country was 3.64 crore tonnes, of which Boro rice accounted for 53.8 percent, Aman 38.6 percent and Aus only 7.6 percent.

In 2019, paddy price in Bangladesh dropped due to a bumper harvest of Boro. Average paddy price was only Tk 17.42 per kg in January 2019 after Aman harvest but declined by 22 percent to Tk13.56 per kg in May 2019, according to Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM 2020) report.

Farmers complained that they did not receive price support from the government, when paddy prices did not cover their production costs.

While the farmers were not getting Boro production costs, the Directorate General of Food (DGF) bought rice from its enlisted rice millers following the allotment in districts and upazilas on their paddy production, rice mill capacity, and target of procurement.

On April 25, 2019, the DGF instructed the District Controllers of Food (DC Food) to procure 1.5 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers, 10 lakh tonnes of parboiled rice and 1.5 tonnes of atap (non-boiled) rice from rice millers before 31 August 2019.

The prices were set at Tk 26 per kg for paddy, Tk 36 per kg for parboiled rice and Tk 35 per kg for atap rice.

TH