SYLHET, May 15: The food department has already procured 13,693 tonnes of rice during the current season in Sylhet division. It includes 6837 tonnes of parboiled and the rest 6856 tonnes of Atap, an official of the department informed on Tuesday.
The collected quantity includes 1690 tonnes of parboiled rice and 5,793 tonnes of Atap in Sylhet, 1180 tonnes of parboiled and 577 tonnes of Atap in Moulvibazar, 3903 tonnes of parboiled and 1280 tonnes of Atap in Habiganj and 58 tonnes of parboiled and 2206 tonnes of Atap in Sunamganj.
The official however said the government has extended the time for signing contract until May 20 with the millers for supplying rice and it would help to procure highest quantity of rice this time.
So far 39 listed millers had supplied the said quantity of boiled while 270 others supplied the Atap rice in the region.
It is stateable here that the government has taken up the programme for procuring 28,919 tonnes of Boro Rice this season from the four districts of Sylhet division. Of the total, 20,705 tonnes would be Atap and the rest 8214 tonnes would parboiled, the sources added.
The procurement programme would continue till August. Contracts are being signed with the millers for the supply through 44 purchasing centres in the region, the official added. Tk 37 is being paid for Atap and Tk 38 for the parboiled rice per kg.
The authority is hopeful of getting a good response this time, as the yield is very good due to favourable weather almost whole the Boro season.
However, in the last year the target couldn't be achieved due to short supply of both parboiled and Atap (non-boiled) varieties from the millers of Sylhet division even on extension of time twice. The Food department had failed to procure even a small quantity since the region had suffered devastating crop loss in last year's Boro season.
It was failed due to poor supply after repeated flash floods, lack of initiatives by the rice mill owners, absence of marketable surplus of rice or paddy etc, officials noted.
The crop was cultivated on about 481,521 hectares in these districts this year. It includes 269,446 hectares in haor region and the rest 212,075 hectares in non-haor areas. Amid a fair weather, there has been a good yield of the much awaited crop, the DAE informed.
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