Boro procurement may face setback for space shortage

SHERPUR, May 24 (UNB): The Boro procurement drive in the district is likely to face serious setbacks due to space shortage in the government food warehouses, much to the worries for the farmers and the millers.
Sources at the district food controller's office said the authorities have set a target to purchase 38,553 tonnes of Boro paddy and 2,832 tonnes of rice in the current Boro season.
The government has fixed Tk20 and Tk31 for each kilogram of paddy and rice respectively as per official procurement rates.
Farmers can directly sell their produce to the government's food warehouses while the authorities will procure rice from millers during the procurement drive.
To attain the target of food crops procurement, the food officials concerned have already made an agreement with 387 rice-mill owners. The procurement move began on May 17 and it will continue till August 30.
Officials concerned said the authorities targeted to purchase 21,568 tonnes of rice and 743 tonnes of paddy from Sadar upazila during the ongoing procurement drive.
However, with the total storage capacity of 7,000 tonnes of food grains, there are 13 government LSD (Local Supply Depot) go-downs in Sadar upazila.
They said there is very little space in the go-downs as those had already previous stocks of 6,000 tonnes of paddy, rice and wheat.
If paddy and rice are collected as per the government's procurement target, stocks of the go-downs have to be shifted elsewhere for three times.