JHENIDAH, Dec 19: Aman procurement in the district is going on smoothly as the government has fixed Tk 36 for per kg rice during this Aman procurement season 2018-19.
In order to ensure internal food grain stock the Department of Food here has set a target to procure 9,389 tonnes of rice in this season.
Food Office sources said a total of 443 mill owners, 16 auto millers and 427 husking millers, across the district have signed contracts with the government this season.
The rice procurement drive began on December 01 and will continue till February 28, next year.
The millers have already supplied 705 tonnes of Aman rice to the Food Department here till date.
Currently, there is a stock of 7,130 tonnes of food grains -- 6,276 tonnes of rice and 854 tonnes of wheat-in the government food godowns in Jhenidah.
However, farmers of the district are frustrated over the present market prices of rice.
The type of coarse rice which the government is buying for food grains stock is being sold around Tk 30 per kg in the local markets.
Though a good harvest, farmers in the district have become very discontented considering the prevailing market prices insufficient compared to the cultivation cost.
The farmers demanded that the government should procure the staple food grain items directly from them.
An officer in the food department said the amount of production of paddy during T-Aman season does not become very big. So, the government procures rice which the farmers cannot supply.
That's why the only millers are assigned to do the job during Aman procurement, the official added.
Meanwhile, our correspondent from Sylhet adds: The Food Department has completed signing of contracts with the rice mill owners in the four districts of the division for supplying some 22,163 tonnes of rice this season.
The department has already taken delivery of 516 tonnes of rice from Sylhet district only as the procurement drive started from December 01.
Sources at the divisional office of Regional Controller of Food said the drive is yet to begin in Moulvibazar, Habiganj and Sunamganj.
The DAE officials eye a total of 1.0 million tonnes of T-Aman paddy production this year.
So far about 65 per cent of the produce is harvested.
BSS adds: In Gaibandha, Aman rice procurement drive began in Sundarganj upazila of the district on Tuesday.
The Department of Food organised a function to this effect on the premises of local supply depot of the upazila town in the afternoon.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) M Soleman Ali addressed the function as the chief guest with Upazila Food Controller Alauddin Basunia in the chair.
Speaking on the occasion, the UNO urged the food officials concerned to conduct Aman rice procurement drive as per government guidelines rising above all kinds of irregularities.
The UNO also sought cooperation of all to make the procurement drive a grand success.
Later, he formally inaugurated the procurement drive.
District food office sources said as many as 14,381 tonnes of rice would be procured from 687 millers through 11 purchasing centers of the district this season.
