Aman rice procurement starts early December

The procurement of Aman rice is likely to start from the first week of next month (December) aiming to ensure country's food security, a high official said.
In this connection the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) under the ministry of food (MoF) will sit soon for finalising the amount of Aman rice to be procured for the current calendar year (2013).  
The committee will also decide on fixing the procurement price of rice. The prices of rice have gone up recently because of restive political situation.
Last year the government had targeted to procure 0.3 million tonnes of Aman rice but procured 275,000 tonnes. The price of per kg of rice was fixed at Tk 26.
The department of food failed to achieve the target because of shortage of space at the public warehouses and difference in the prices of rice of the government and that of the local market.
The Directorate General of Food has initially proposed to the MoF for procurement of 0.3 million tonnes of rice for the current year.
"We have proposed to the MoF for procurement of 0.3 million tonnes of Aman rice for the current year," a high official of the food department told the FE Saturday.   
He, however, said the upcoming meeting of the FPMC will finally decide about the amount of Aman rice procurement.  
The production cost of Aman rice this season has gone up to Tk 25.42 per kg. This year the government may procure Aman rice from the millers at Tk 29 per kg.
The food department will sign contracts with the millers so that the target for procurement of Aman rice can be fulfilled.
The present food grain stock in the country is now 1.1 million tonnes. The government has decided to initiate rice procurement to avert any possible food crisis.