Mobile app to figure in Aman paddy procurement

FE REPORT | Published: September 19, 2020 22:50:08

The government has decided to procure Aman paddy from the farmers of different upazilas of the country through mobile app aiming to ensure transparency in the public procurement process and food security.
At the request of Directorate General of Food, the food ministry took the decision on the procurement of next-season Aman paddy from the farmers through "Krishoker App", a digital purchase process.
Initially, DG Food will purchase Aman paddy from around 40 upazilas of the country through mobile app.
We have decided to purchase Aman paddy from at least 40 upazilas through mobile app during the upcoming season to ensure transparency," Director General of DG Food Sarwar Mahmud told the FE last week.
He said the food ministry has approved a proposal made by DG Food to provide training to field-level food officials on purchase of Aman paddy through app.
Ten-day training will start from today (Sunday) and continue until September 30, he said, adding that procurement of Aman paddy through mobile app will help ensure fair prices for small and marginal farmers.
The digital purchase process will help the farmers in selling their produce to the government without facing any trouble.
It will also help curb irregularities and corruption owing to the intervention of middlemen in rice purchase, according to DG Food.
Earlier, DG Food completed its Boro paddy and rice procurement on September 15 last. Even after extension of time for 15 days, it failed to fulfil its target mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and poor response from the farmers.
The food ministry had set a target to purchase 1.95 million tonnes of Boro rice this year.
The price of Boro paddy was fixed at Tk 26 per kg while parboiled and Atap or sundried rice at Tk 38 and Tk36 respectively. But the total Boro procurement this year was below 50 per cent of the target.
The Aman procurement drive last year was successful as the government achieved almost cent percent target for the season.
The paddy collection was 0.626 million tonnes (626,657 tonnes) against the target of 0. 625 million tonnes (625,991 tonnes).
The government had purchased 0.337 million tonnes (337,407 tonnes) of parboiled rice against the target of 337,618 tonnes and 43,401 tonnes of sundried rice against the target of 43,900 tonnes.
The upazilas from where the government will purchase Aman paddy through h"Krishoker App" are: Savar of Dhaka, Faridpur Sadar, Mymensingh Sadar, Jamalpur Sadar, Brahmanbaria Sadar, Bogura Sadar, Jashore Sadar, Jhinaidah Sadar, Rangpur Sadar, Dinajpur Sadar, Sherpur Sadar, Cumilla Sadar South, Moulvibazar Sadar, Habiganj Sadar, Bhola Sadar and Naogaon Sadar.
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