Efforts on to import rice from different sources
Monday, 10 December 2007
Naim-Ul-Karim
The government has taken a fresh move to procure rice from Myanmar, Thailand and Pakistan to improve its food stock position within the shortest possible time.
"We would not like to depend on any single source of supply. Our diplomatic missions in Myanmar, Thailand and Pakistan have been asked for taking necessary steps in this connection," a senior official source said.
Besides, he said, "We have also taken moves to import some essential commodities from those countries."
Sources said the department of food has so far floated international tenders for procurement of over 1.2 million tonnes of rice in the last few months.
Of the quantity about 0.2 million tonnes of rice has already reached Chittagong port.
"Currently, there are over 0.7 million tonnes of rice in our stock which is 0.2 million tonnes higher than that of last year," said director general of the Food Directorate Mollah Wahiduzzaman.
He expressed the hope that rice import from India would also start soon.
A senior official of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management said import-related outstanding issues with India will be resolved soon.
Meanwhile, at the wholesale level, they said prices of rice especially finer varieties have increased by about Tk37-Tk70 per maund.
At the retail level, prices of coarse variety of rice remained unchanged at Tk26-Tk27 per kg despite price hike of finer variety of rice that ranged between Tk34-Tk41 per kg from Tk32 and Tk40per kg a week ago, traders said.
Sources said the country needs to import 3.9 million more tonnes of foodgrains in the current fiscal year to cope with its emerging food deficit, caused due to a series of natural calamities, including the recent cyclone, sources said.
Of the total the government will require to procure at least 1.0 million tonnes while 0.9 million tonnes of rice will be imported by the private sector.
Sources further said the country imported 2.4 million tonnes of rice in the fiscal year 2006-07 in addition to the net availability of 27.4 million tonnes of rice at the local level.
The government has taken a fresh move to procure rice from Myanmar, Thailand and Pakistan to improve its food stock position within the shortest possible time.
"We would not like to depend on any single source of supply. Our diplomatic missions in Myanmar, Thailand and Pakistan have been asked for taking necessary steps in this connection," a senior official source said.
Besides, he said, "We have also taken moves to import some essential commodities from those countries."
Sources said the department of food has so far floated international tenders for procurement of over 1.2 million tonnes of rice in the last few months.
Of the quantity about 0.2 million tonnes of rice has already reached Chittagong port.
"Currently, there are over 0.7 million tonnes of rice in our stock which is 0.2 million tonnes higher than that of last year," said director general of the Food Directorate Mollah Wahiduzzaman.
He expressed the hope that rice import from India would also start soon.
A senior official of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management said import-related outstanding issues with India will be resolved soon.
Meanwhile, at the wholesale level, they said prices of rice especially finer varieties have increased by about Tk37-Tk70 per maund.
At the retail level, prices of coarse variety of rice remained unchanged at Tk26-Tk27 per kg despite price hike of finer variety of rice that ranged between Tk34-Tk41 per kg from Tk32 and Tk40per kg a week ago, traders said.
Sources said the country needs to import 3.9 million more tonnes of foodgrains in the current fiscal year to cope with its emerging food deficit, caused due to a series of natural calamities, including the recent cyclone, sources said.
Of the total the government will require to procure at least 1.0 million tonnes while 0.9 million tonnes of rice will be imported by the private sector.
Sources further said the country imported 2.4 million tonnes of rice in the fiscal year 2006-07 in addition to the net availability of 27.4 million tonnes of rice at the local level.