Home ›› 12 Apr 2022 ›› Front
Rice prices in the market have reached an unaffordable level though some 13.48 lakh tonnes of rice are reserved in government warehouses across the country.
If the government fails to release the stored rice on time, it will be in trouble for the ongoing Boro procurement in terms of warehouse space.
The food ministry may have to rent private warehouses to meet the Boro procurement target, which will be costlier and risky.
But Food Secretary Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum said she was not worried about the situation.
“We will meet the target at any cost regardless of whether we can release the existing stock or not. If necessary, we will rent private warehouses,” she told The Business Post.
Food ministry data shows the government had 15.9 lakh tonnes of food reserve till April 10, including 0.75 lakh tonnes of paddy and 1.68 lakh tonnes of wheat.
The ministry has also planned to procure 6.5 lakh tonnes of paddy, 11 lakh tonnes of rice, and 0.5 lakh tonnes of Atap rice during the Boro season.
The procurement will be done between April 28 and August 31. Per kg paddy will be procured at Tk 27, per kg rice at Tk 40, and per kg Atap rice at Tk 39.
Besides, the government will procure one lakh tonnes of wheat from local sources while another one lakh tonnes will be imported from India.
This means the government will procure around 20 lakh tonnes of rice, paddy, and wheat while its total food grain reserve capacity is 21 lakh tonnes.
But the government has only six lakh tonnes of free space in its warehouses at present, and another 1.5 lakh tonnes will be created this month.
Food ministry officials said it was almost impossible to create enough space to store the targeted rice and wheat because of the present slow trend of stock release.
They said farmers would start supplying paddy in mid-May, which would end in June. During this period, the government might be able to create a maximum of 11 lakh tonnes of free space in its warehouses.
Moreover, if the government wants to meet the procurement target, it might need a minimum of five lakh tonnes of free space, they added.
The food secretary said, “It is true that we are facing a shortage of warehouse space, but we are working to increase their capacity.”
“We will procure paddy and rice gradually. We are now distributing rice under several social safety net programmes. If needed, we will widen the scope of these programmes,” she added.
No rice import now
Food ministry officials said some paddy fields in Haor areas were submerged in water, which might reduce the expected production, but the government had not yet planned to import rice.
They said the ministry would try to procure rice and paddy from local sources at any cost.
“The Department of Agricultural Extension told us we would see a record production in the Boro season while Aman production was already good. That is why we would not allow more rice imports,” Nazmanara said.
“I guess there will be no crisis, but if there is one, we will then decide what to do,” she added.
