Home ›› 20 Nov 2021 ›› Front
The government may fail to meet this season’s Aman paddy and rice procurement target as their existing prices are lower than that in the local market.
On October 31, the food ministry set the target to procure three lakh tonnes of paddy and five lakh tonnes of rice from domestic sources at Tk 27 and Tk 40 per kg respectively.
It procured 31 tonnes of paddy and 156 tonnes of rice till November 17. The procurement drive started on November 7 and will continue till February 28 next year.
Md Raihanul Kabir, director (current charge) of the Procurement Division under the Directorate General of Food (DGF), said they were observing the situation and would make the next decision after harvesting was complete.
“It is the initial stage now and is not the right time to make any comment. After harvesting is complete, we will get a clear picture,” he said. He said high officials would make the decision, and the DGF only authorises procurement.
“We may send a recommendation to the food ministry if we fail to meet the target at the existing prices,” he added.
In the previous season, the food ministry procured per kg paddy at Tk 26, and rice at Tk 36. But it failed to meet the targets due to low prices compared to the local market.
During a recent visit to the Rangpur division, The Business Post found that farmers in their fields were selling per kg wet Aman paddy at around Tk 26.
On the other hand, dry Aman was selling at Tk 27.5 to Tk 28 in the local market, higher than the prices set by the government.
Most of the Aman paddy is produced in Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Jashore regions. The situation in Rajshahi and Jashore was almost the same.
Local food officials in Rangpur said it would be possible to procure a small amount of paddy at the existing prices.
The government procures paddy from farmers, and rice from rice millers. To supply paddy, farmers have to do online registrations.
