Boro procurement deadline extended by 15 days
Monday, 31 August 2009
FE Report
The government has extended the 'Boro' procurement deadline by 15 days for buying the rest of the targeted 1.2 million tonnes of the food-grain.
The decision was taken Sunday at the meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit, held at the secretariat with Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaq in the chair.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and other senior officials of the related ministries were present at the meeting.
"We have already procured 1,138,000 tonnes of rice until the August 30 deadline, which is only 62,000 tonnes below the target," the food and disaster management minister told newsmen after the meeting.
He went on: "The government has extended the deadline in order to facilitate the local rice millers supply the remaining quantity of the rice."
Some millers could not supply the food-grain within the stipulated timeframe because of unfavorable weather, especially the recent rainfalls, he added.
The government has also purchased a record 86,000 tonnes of Boro paddy against the target of 150,000 tonnes.
The meeting discussed a proposal on distribution of rice at a 'nominal price' among poorer segment of society, side by side with the government's existing vulnerable group feeding (VGF) programme, Dr. Razzaq said.
Responding to a query, the food and disaster management minister said the government's present food-grains stock is now at a 'comfortable level' of 1.26 million tonnes.
He said the government is also considering relaxation of rice export- aromatic and non-aromatic-taking into account the appreciable food-grain output.
At present, the private sector has the requirement for export of over 150,000 tonnes of rice.
"But, the government is going slow in allowing rice export taking the country's food-security measures into account. We are focused on implementing our earlier decision of exporting 10,000 tonnes of aromatic rice after Ramadan," he said.
The government has extended the 'Boro' procurement deadline by 15 days for buying the rest of the targeted 1.2 million tonnes of the food-grain.
The decision was taken Sunday at the meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit, held at the secretariat with Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaq in the chair.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and other senior officials of the related ministries were present at the meeting.
"We have already procured 1,138,000 tonnes of rice until the August 30 deadline, which is only 62,000 tonnes below the target," the food and disaster management minister told newsmen after the meeting.
He went on: "The government has extended the deadline in order to facilitate the local rice millers supply the remaining quantity of the rice."
Some millers could not supply the food-grain within the stipulated timeframe because of unfavorable weather, especially the recent rainfalls, he added.
The government has also purchased a record 86,000 tonnes of Boro paddy against the target of 150,000 tonnes.
The meeting discussed a proposal on distribution of rice at a 'nominal price' among poorer segment of society, side by side with the government's existing vulnerable group feeding (VGF) programme, Dr. Razzaq said.
Responding to a query, the food and disaster management minister said the government's present food-grains stock is now at a 'comfortable level' of 1.26 million tonnes.
He said the government is also considering relaxation of rice export- aromatic and non-aromatic-taking into account the appreciable food-grain output.
At present, the private sector has the requirement for export of over 150,000 tonnes of rice.
"But, the government is going slow in allowing rice export taking the country's food-security measures into account. We are focused on implementing our earlier decision of exporting 10,000 tonnes of aromatic rice after Ramadan," he said.