Food storage to be raised

Following a good response from the millers, the government has increased Aman crop procurement target by 50 per cent in the ongoing financial year.
Directorate General of Food (DGoF) is eyeing for better food storage both from internal and external sources, officials said.
Under the move, the procurement has begun to increase which was showing a negative trend for the last six months, according to officials.
The government earlier decided to buy 0.2 million tonnes of Aman rice at Tk 30 per kg under its public storage initiative between December 2013 and February 2014.
"The Aman procurement target was fixed at 0.2 million tonnes of which 0.169 million tonnes of rice has so far been procured. Following the success, the target has further been extended by 0.1 million tonnes" DGoF director for Procurement Md Badrul Hassan said.
He told the FE that 14000 millers have been engaged under contracts with the directorate and deals for 0.245 million tonnes of rice have so far been finalised.
He said Rangpur and Rajshahi regions will have major share as target for the two regions have been set at 0.139 million tonnes and 0.082 million tonnes respectively.
"The rate of procurement has increased as the transportation is normal," he said.  
DGoF director for Movement, Storage & Silo Md Tofazzal Hossain told the FE that public food storage which reached a two year low--- 0.94 million tonnes in December has started to increase.
He told the FE that the stock was 0.965 million tonnes both rice and wheat on Thursday of which rice was 0.745 million tonnes.
"Aman procurement has been enriching the government food storage," he said.
"Besides, two ships carrying 23500 and 30500 tonnes respectively of imported wheat are yet to be unloaded in Chittagong port," he said.
Farm economist and market expert Golam Hafiz Kennedy told the FE that the government can procure at least 0.5 million tonnes of rice from the local sources in this Aman season.
"The public food storage capacity has been developed to 1.8 million tonnes recently, so it is easy to procure at least 0.5-0.7 million tonnes in Aman season," he said.
He also suggested strategic import to tackle any emergency situation.
"The stock should be between 1.5 to 1.6 million tonnes of which rice should be 1.0 million tonnes minimum," he added.
DGoF director general Ahmad Hossain Khan told the FE that with the Aman procurement drive, public storage will increase.
He said the DGoF will also procure a large amount of wheat from the local farmers.
"Strategic imports of both wheat and rice will continue," he said.
According to the food directorate, Bangladesh's average annual demand for food grains - mainly wheat and rice - is about 35.0 million tonnes of which rice contributes 31.0 million tonnes.
The food grain (rice, wheat) production was 35.02 million tonnes in FY'13.