Govt may relax Aman procurement provision
Thursday, 14 January 2010
S M Jahangir
The government, facing a big shortfall in its 'Aman' procurement target, is considering relaxing the provision of purchasing 40 per cent paddy directly from farmers, official sources said.
It is also looking to further extend the timeframe for signing rice purchase deals with local rice millers against the backdrop of their poor response, sources added.
"The proposals for relaxation of paddy collection provision and further extension of deadline for signing purchase agreements with millers are under consideration," a senior food and disaster management ministry official said.
A massive collection shortfall has necessitated the government to review its current Aman procurement strategy following a surge in the rice price both at domestic and international market in recent times, the official indicated.
Referring to figures, official sources said the food department has so far collected only 20,000 tonnes of rice since the procure ment drive was launched on December 7.
The government has set the rice purchase target at 0.3 million tonnes for the current Aman harvest season.
Officials concerned attributed such food-grain collection shortfall to the gap in the official procurement rates and that of open market prices.
Both the official and field-level sources said the open market price of paddy is around Tk 60 per maund higher that that of the government fixed rates.
The government has fixed the paddy price at Tk 14 per kg or Tk 560 per maund while it is selling between Tk 600 and Tk 630 per maund at the growers' level.
The government, facing a big shortfall in its 'Aman' procurement target, is considering relaxing the provision of purchasing 40 per cent paddy directly from farmers, official sources said.
It is also looking to further extend the timeframe for signing rice purchase deals with local rice millers against the backdrop of their poor response, sources added.
"The proposals for relaxation of paddy collection provision and further extension of deadline for signing purchase agreements with millers are under consideration," a senior food and disaster management ministry official said.
A massive collection shortfall has necessitated the government to review its current Aman procurement strategy following a surge in the rice price both at domestic and international market in recent times, the official indicated.
Referring to figures, official sources said the food department has so far collected only 20,000 tonnes of rice since the procure ment drive was launched on December 7.
The government has set the rice purchase target at 0.3 million tonnes for the current Aman harvest season.
Officials concerned attributed such food-grain collection shortfall to the gap in the official procurement rates and that of open market prices.
Both the official and field-level sources said the open market price of paddy is around Tk 60 per maund higher that that of the government fixed rates.
The government has fixed the paddy price at Tk 14 per kg or Tk 560 per maund while it is selling between Tk 600 and Tk 630 per maund at the growers' level.