Food grain procurement target fails in Khulna

KHULNA, Sept 9 (UNB): The target to procure paddy and rice could not be achieved in the district this season due to various reasons, including higher prices of the food grains, at the local markets compared to the government-offered rates.
Sources concerned said the authorities earlier fixed a target of procuring 10,194 tonnes of paddy and rice in nine upazilas of the district including the city.
The procurement target included 1,525 tonnes of paddy and 8,669 toones of rice.
Official rate for rice per kg was fixed at Tk 31 while that of paddy at Tk 20.
However, about 7,148 tonnes of paddy and rice could be procured against the targeted amount of food grains until August 28, two days before the end of the four-month long official procurement drive.