Sylhet division procures 5,073 tonnes of rice

SYLHET, Jan 01: The district food department procured a total of 5,073 tonnes of rice from all the four districts of Sylhet division till December 31, 2018.
An official of the department said some 1,752 tonnes of rice have been procured in Sylhet against the season's target 7,064 tonnes, 1,214 tonnes in Moulvibazar against the target 5,780 tonnes, 967 tonnes were procured in Habiganj having a target of 4,193 tonnes.
However, 1,140 tonnes of rice have so far been procured in Sunamganj against 5,126 tonnes of target.
The food department earlier signed contracts with the rice mill owners for getting supply of 22,163 tonnes of rice this season.
Amid a good harvest of T-Aman paddy in Sylhet region, the Food Department started rice procurement at Tk 36 per kg.
The programme would continue till the end of February.
The DAE officials expect production around 1.0 million tonnes of T-Aman paddy this year.
In the last year the department had procured only 1,213 tonnes of rice from Sunamganj and Moulvibazar districts while Sylhet and Habiganj districts were dropped from the programme.
Our correspondent from Nilphamari adds: The district food office has started rice procurement drive with a target to procure 12,105 tonnes of T-Aman rice.
Sources said amidst good harvest, the quantity of procurement is not good enough to satisfy the demand of the Aman growers as procurement target was inadequate.
Moreover, the procurement would be done through the listed millers only.
An official of the district food controller office said only parboiled rice would be procured at Tk 36 per kg.
Out of the total target, 3,802 tonnes of rice would be procured from Sadar upazila, 1,306 tonnes from Saidpur, 1,820 tonnes from Domar 2,618 tonnes from Jaldhaka, 1604 tonnes from Dimla and 955 tonnes from Kishoreganj.
District controller of food Kazi Saifuddin Ahamed said procurement started on December 01, 2018 and would end on February 28, 2019.
All the seven local supply depots in the district would procure rice from the listed millers.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials said this year's target of T-Aman paddy production in the district is 2,91,474 tonnes and the target might be surpassed as there has been a good yield.