Govt to introduce new paddy procurement system

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Food Minister Abdur Razzaq said that the government would introduce a new system so that farmers could sell paddy at the price set by the government, reports bdnews24.com.
The farmers are counting losses as they sell paddy at Tk 380-Tk 420 per maund against the government-fixed price of Tk 560 in the northern districts including Naogaon.
Under the system, the mill owners would be obliged to purchase certain amount of paddy directly from the farmers, Dr Razzaq said Friday.
He vented his dissatisfaction over the overall situation of rice-paddy market during his visit to Hapania Hat of Naogaon Sadar Upazila on the day.
The minister visited the northern districts including Bogra, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Naogaon to monitor the current Boro procurement campaign and talked to the farmers.
The minister directed the food officials to purchase paddy in huge quantity from the farmers. He said the incumbent government was trying to ensure that the farmers were not affected.
Earlier, the minister exchanged views with the mill owners at Naogaon Circuit House where the mill owners demanded that more rice were procured from the region and
construction of more granaries.
Dr Razzaq said the granaries could store only 1.2 million tonnes of rice, which was why the government was unable to procure huge quantity of rice and paddy despite bumper production.
He said the government would construct food storage with capacity of 101,000 tonnes in the northern region apart from one at Narayanganj and two at Mongla port.