Boro paddy procurement drive fails in Faridpur

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Our Correspondent
FARIDPUR, Sept 25: The Boro paddy procurement drive has totally failed in Faridpur.
Only one per cent of the target had been achieved till the closure of the 135-day long drive on August 31 last, sources said.
Mr Abdur Razzak, district Controller of Food, blamed the price fixed for Boro paddy procurement which was less than the local market price, for the failure in achievement of the target.
However, he claimed that it was still the highest achievement in Boro procurement programme in last three years in the district.
Faridpur district controller of food office sources said Boro procurement programme in the current season was launched in eight upazilas of Faridpur district on April 16 and ended on "August 31.
The procurement price for paddy was fixed at Taka 18 per kilogramme and Taka 18000 per quintal and only two (one per cent) metric tonnes of Boro paddy had been collected within the period.
In Sadar Upazila of the district food department failed to collect a single grain of Boro paddy in this season.
According to the sources, the previous binding of selling maximum one tonne of paddy (1000) kilogram) to the local food depot was lifted by the district food procurement committee in the last three years. Even after that the programme failed due to fixation of lower procurement price than the current market price, the sources added.