The government has wrapped up wheat procurement drive for the current calendar year with almost cent per cent fulfillment of the target, officials said.
Earlier, the government had targetted procurement of 0.15 million tonnes of wheat for the year 2014. The procurement price of wheat was fixed at Tk 27 per kg.
The procurement drive began on April 1 last and ended on June 30, 2014.
"We have procured 1,49,286 tonnes of wheat, which is about cent per cent of the target," Director (Admin) of the Directorate General of Food Md Tofazzal Hossain told the FE.
He said good harvest of wheat in the country and reasonable procurement prices had prompted farmers to sell wheat to the government. This has led to help achieve its procurement target during the current year.
During the calendar year 2013, the government had targetted to procure 0.15 million tonnes of wheat and it had procured 1,30,000 tonnes of wheat, which is about 87 per cent of the target.
However, the government had fulfilled its target to procure 0.1 million tonnes of wheat during the calendar year 2012.
The food official said the country is heavily dependent on import of wheat for meeting its internal demand.
The average annual production of wheat in the country is 1.0 million tonnes against the total demand of 3.5 million tonnes.
Apart from stocking wheat internally, the government is also planning to import it.
At present, the country has 1.1 million tonnes of rice and 0.3 million tonnes of wheat at the public silos and warehouses.
talhabinhabib@yahoomail.com