Govt to import 50,000 more tonnes of rice

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FE Report
The government will import 50,000 tonnes of rice from the international market in order to meet any possible crisis arising out of the recent floods that washed away the country's Aus and Aman plantations, official sources said.
The ministry of food of and disaster management has already started the process for importing rice from the international market, the sources said.
Sources in the food and disaster management ministry said the government has set an import target of 0.4 million tonnes of rice this year to create a buffer stock.
Out of the import target, the government has already imported 50,000 tonnes of rice recently, the sources added.
"As the recent floods have damaged most of Aus and Aman crops partially, there is every possibility of a shortfall in food production this year. Therefore, the government has decided to import rice to replenish its buffer stock," an official in the ministry of food and disaster management said.
Source in the ministry said the directorate of food had appointed a private sector contractor to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from India.
The contractor has already opened letters of credit (LC) with the Sonali Bank recently for importing the rice, the sources said adding, the consignments would arrive in the country shortly.
In the last fiscal 2006-07, the government imported over 0.1 million tonnes of rice to meet the local demand in the country, the sources informed.
Meanwhile, the Director (Operation and Training) of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), Mohammad Abdul Halim, told the FE that BDR was also importing 90,000 tonnes of rice from the international market in order to selling those in the open market at fair price during the holy month of Ramadan.
"Out of the 90,000 tonnes of rice, the government has sought 70,000 tonnes of rice for conducting its open market sale (OMS) opera tion across the country during the month of Ramadan," he said adding, some consignments have already reached the country and the rest are in the pipeline.