Muhith too finds rice at Tk 40 a kg 'tolerable'

Finance Minister AMA Muhith billed minimum rice price at Tk 40 per kilogram as tolerable for both growers and consumers-a day after his colleague in charge of commerce set the threshold.
"Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed rightly said. Minimum rice price per kg should be Tk 40," Mr Muhith said Friday, corroborating the commerce minister's remark on the price of the staple with ample elaboration on the logic.
"It is tolerable for both growers and consumers. We have to look after farmers as well as consumers," he told his audience at a food-safety function in the capital, Dhaka.
The commerce minister speaking at a press conference Thursday said: 'My personal opinion is that the rice prices will never drop below Tk 40 (a kg). (Minimum) price of rice will be around Tk 40 as it is now.'
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) organised the programme in observance of National Food Safety Day for the first time. And the observations by the two ministers in charge of commerce and finance came in the wake of market rowdiness especially on food front.
Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Muhith aired a high note of assurance that there is no reason to be worried about food stock.
"There is no food crisis. Don't need to be worried. We are relaxed now," said the finance minister, whose ministry had to defray contingency funds for rice imports in recent times to tame a market upturn.
He said recent food problem should not be called a 'crisis'. It is a brief problem and food ministry has already resolved the problem.
"They imported more than we need."
The minister disclosed that the government has 1.2 million metric tonnes of food stored now. "The amount is enough for us," he said.
He said some people question why Bangladesh is called a food-sufficient country when it imports 3-4 million tonnes of wheat. It is all about perception. Bangladesh produces rice as much it needs. The country can export rice too.
"We produce a lot of maize. We perhaps produce no less than 150,000 tonnes of wheat, but if we consider other grains of food, including vegetables, fish and fruits, we are sufficient," he told the meet.
Mr Muhith said the country needs to be cautious about food safety so that no foreign element could enter the food chain, likes piranha fish or contagious epidemic.
Speaking at the programme, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said the country cannot march ahead if people cannot take nutritious and safe food.
She said Bangladesh faced food crisis last year for floods, but it is not big deal as the country imported food-grains with its own money and resolved the crisis.
She also blamed a section of people for creating artificial food crisis.
Matia said food security in the country means security of rice production. If rice is produced enough, food security is ensured.
Food Minister Kamrul Islam said the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) could not kick-start full-pledged work for not having enough manpower it requires.
He finds awareness as the key to getting safe food. If everybody in food supply is aware, safe food will be ensured.
Explaining BFSA's activities, the minister said they want to reach where people of the country could take street food without a second thought.
The government designated February 2 as National Food Safety Day to create awareness among the people and prevent widespread food adulteration while ensuring safe food.
The day became National Food Safety Day following approval given at a cabinet meeting held on July 31, 2017.
With acting secretary of food ministry Shahabuddin Ahmed in the chair, the programme was also attended by chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on food Abdul Wadud, BFSA Chairman Mahfuzul Haque and Deputy FAO Representative in Bangladesh David Doolan.

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