Slow progress in paddy purchase in Sylhet region

SYLHET, July 22: Though rice procurement is going well, there has been a slow progress in paddy purchase by the food department from farmers in the Sylhet region, official and other sources informed on Monday.

So far, some 8,924 tonnes of paddy have been procured in all the four districts of the division against the target at 36,807 tonnes, sources said.

It includes 1,723 tonnes in Sylhet, 1,005 tonnes in Moulvibazar, 2,230 tonnes in Habiganj and 3,917 tonnes in Sunamganj.

An official cited various reasons for the slow progress. Poor storage facility in the government depots in upazilas alongside lack of interest among a section of officials in buying paddy from farmers are the major ones, he admitted.

But, the food department has so far purchased 40,118 tonnes of rice against the target of 68,324 tonnes from their contract millers.

It may be stated that the food department is purchasing rice from the 514 listed millers. Of them 49 are contracted for parboiled rice and 465 for Atap rice.

Although the food department had a target of 13,803 tonnes of paddy to be bought from the farmers, it had to be raised by 23,004 tonnes in the face of large scale demand from the social activists and farmers.

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