Govt to purchase rice at Tk 21-22, paddy at Tk 14
Monday, 27 April 2009
The government will buy boiled rice at Tk 22, non-boiled Tk 21 and paddy Tk 14 a kilogramme, the food minister said Sunday, reports bdnews24.com.
A drive to purchase about 1.2 million (12 lakh) tonnes of rice and paddy will start from May 1 and continue until Aug. 31, Food Minister Abdur Razzak told reporters after a meeting of the food monitoring and planning committee under the ministry.
If necessary, he said, the government may extend the procurement drive up to Sept. 30.
The minister said each kg of boiled rice will be bought at Tk 22 and the non-boiled rice locally called Atap rice at Tk 21.
Government committees in districts and upazilas will supervise the procurement drive in food-sufficient districts.
The prices were determined after discussion with the representatives from the Department of Agricultural Extension and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute considering the interests of farmers and consumers, Razzak said.
The government has planned to procure 50,000 tonnes of non-boiled rice for Chittagong and Sylhet divisions as the people of those areas prefer such rice.
The past caretaker government could not buy the same amount of rice despite setting a target last year.
Razzak said, "The scenario is different this year. Prices of rice and paddy are low in the market, but the government is buying them at higher prices."
"So we are hopeful about fulfilling the target."
Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury were present at the meeting.
"We have fixed the procurement prices to encourage farmers and protect their interest in consultation with economists, civil society, Rice Research Institute," Razzak told a press briefing at his ministry.
The Food Minister said the government will also procure 50,000 to 60,000 tons of 'atap (un-boiled' rice at Tk 21 per kg from May.
He said monitoring committees representing TNOs, Imams, teachers and local elite will be formed to protect the farmers' interest during the procurement drive.
Razzak predicted that the price of rice might little go up, but the government fixed the price taking into account the growers' interest to encourage them to increase food production.
In reply to a question, the Minister said the government wants to make the country self-sufficient in food as per its election pledge and strengthen the social safety net.
A correspondent observed that millers would be more benefited since the government procures more rice than paddy. The Food Minister replied that the millers would not be bale to manipulate the price of rice since the government will procure at a higher price.
In this context, he said the past caretaker government procured rice at a price lower than the market rate and the millers stocked the rice creating artificial crisis on the market.
A drive to purchase about 1.2 million (12 lakh) tonnes of rice and paddy will start from May 1 and continue until Aug. 31, Food Minister Abdur Razzak told reporters after a meeting of the food monitoring and planning committee under the ministry.
If necessary, he said, the government may extend the procurement drive up to Sept. 30.
The minister said each kg of boiled rice will be bought at Tk 22 and the non-boiled rice locally called Atap rice at Tk 21.
Government committees in districts and upazilas will supervise the procurement drive in food-sufficient districts.
The prices were determined after discussion with the representatives from the Department of Agricultural Extension and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute considering the interests of farmers and consumers, Razzak said.
The government has planned to procure 50,000 tonnes of non-boiled rice for Chittagong and Sylhet divisions as the people of those areas prefer such rice.
The past caretaker government could not buy the same amount of rice despite setting a target last year.
Razzak said, "The scenario is different this year. Prices of rice and paddy are low in the market, but the government is buying them at higher prices."
"So we are hopeful about fulfilling the target."
Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury were present at the meeting.
"We have fixed the procurement prices to encourage farmers and protect their interest in consultation with economists, civil society, Rice Research Institute," Razzak told a press briefing at his ministry.
The Food Minister said the government will also procure 50,000 to 60,000 tons of 'atap (un-boiled' rice at Tk 21 per kg from May.
He said monitoring committees representing TNOs, Imams, teachers and local elite will be formed to protect the farmers' interest during the procurement drive.
Razzak predicted that the price of rice might little go up, but the government fixed the price taking into account the growers' interest to encourage them to increase food production.
In reply to a question, the Minister said the government wants to make the country self-sufficient in food as per its election pledge and strengthen the social safety net.
A correspondent observed that millers would be more benefited since the government procures more rice than paddy. The Food Minister replied that the millers would not be bale to manipulate the price of rice since the government will procure at a higher price.
In this context, he said the past caretaker government procured rice at a price lower than the market rate and the millers stocked the rice creating artificial crisis on the market.