Govt plans to raise food storage capacity by another 0.3m tones
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
FE Report
The government is planning to increase the country's food storage capacity by another 0.3 million tonnes by the end of the fiscal year 2009-10 Food Minister Abdur Razzaq said Tuesday.
"This would be done gradually by building more large capacity silos and godowns around the country with foreign help," he told reporters after attending a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in the city.
The country currently has a food storage capacity of 1.5 million tonnes.
"In the long term, our aim is to expand the storage capacity by 0.5 to 0.6 million tonnes. However, an increase of 0.25 to 0.3 million tonnes by the end of the next fiscal is the immediate target," the food minister said.
"The expansion plan would include construction of a large capacity silo at Mongla and another one at the northern part of the country in the short term with Japanese aid," the minister said. "However, if there is a dearth of foreign assistance, the country would foot the bill from its own funds," he added.
Referring to the government's food procurement policy, Mr Razzaq said that committees would be formed at the grassroots level to ensure transparency and accountability, while purging corruption in the procurement process.
"Members of the committee will be local and government nominees including schoolteachers and imams of mosques to ensure proper representation," the minister said.
"However, the Ministry of Food itself will not be directly involved in the procurement process," he added.
With reference to the government's procurement prices, the minister said that the rate has been fixed to ensure that the farmers get the appropriate prices for their crops as well as to discourage the involvement of middlemen.
The government earlier decided to procure rice at a rate of Tk 22 per kg, which is Tk 6 higher than the market price of Tk 16.
Earlier, during the meeting, the food minister stressed on increasing investment, value addition and automation in agriculture to turn the country into an exporter of food in the international market.
American Chamber of Commerce organised the meeting on "Food Security for Bangladesh: Relevant Issues."
"The average annual production of food which now stands at 33 million tonnes has tripled since the country's independence, bringing the country on the threshold of self sufficiency," Mr Razzak said in his speech.
"The government, since coming to power, has substantially increased allotment to the food safety net programmes, including Food for Work, 100-Day Employment and other major schemes," the minister said.
The government is planning to increase the country's food storage capacity by another 0.3 million tonnes by the end of the fiscal year 2009-10 Food Minister Abdur Razzaq said Tuesday.
"This would be done gradually by building more large capacity silos and godowns around the country with foreign help," he told reporters after attending a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in the city.
The country currently has a food storage capacity of 1.5 million tonnes.
"In the long term, our aim is to expand the storage capacity by 0.5 to 0.6 million tonnes. However, an increase of 0.25 to 0.3 million tonnes by the end of the next fiscal is the immediate target," the food minister said.
"The expansion plan would include construction of a large capacity silo at Mongla and another one at the northern part of the country in the short term with Japanese aid," the minister said. "However, if there is a dearth of foreign assistance, the country would foot the bill from its own funds," he added.
Referring to the government's food procurement policy, Mr Razzaq said that committees would be formed at the grassroots level to ensure transparency and accountability, while purging corruption in the procurement process.
"Members of the committee will be local and government nominees including schoolteachers and imams of mosques to ensure proper representation," the minister said.
"However, the Ministry of Food itself will not be directly involved in the procurement process," he added.
With reference to the government's procurement prices, the minister said that the rate has been fixed to ensure that the farmers get the appropriate prices for their crops as well as to discourage the involvement of middlemen.
The government earlier decided to procure rice at a rate of Tk 22 per kg, which is Tk 6 higher than the market price of Tk 16.
Earlier, during the meeting, the food minister stressed on increasing investment, value addition and automation in agriculture to turn the country into an exporter of food in the international market.
American Chamber of Commerce organised the meeting on "Food Security for Bangladesh: Relevant Issues."
"The average annual production of food which now stands at 33 million tonnes has tripled since the country's independence, bringing the country on the threshold of self sufficiency," Mr Razzak said in his speech.
"The government, since coming to power, has substantially increased allotment to the food safety net programmes, including Food for Work, 100-Day Employment and other major schemes," the minister said.