- Rice mills across the country are now operating in full swing as the government prepares to buy a large quantity of rice from the local market. The photo was taken from Dinajpur. Photo: Anisur Rahman
The government has targeted buying six lakh tonnes of Boro rice from the domestic market at Tk 29 a kg from June 5 to September 30.
But unlike in the previous years, it will not buy paddy from the farmers due to lack of adequate storage facilities required for this.
Food Secretary Barun Dev Mitra said this while talking to journalists at his office yesterday.
Production cost of Boro paddy this season is Tk 14.65 a kg as estimated by the agriculture ministry. Procurement price of rice has been fixed taking into consideration milling cost and 25 percent benefit, he said.
Public procurement of Boro rice used to start in mid-April in the past, but this time the government delayed the process saying market prices of rice were high, and public procurement for providing price incentive to farmers was not needed.
The government decision to buy Boro rice now comes in the wake of falling prices of paddy in a number of districts.
Field reports received from Dinajpur, Rangpur, Thakurgaon and some other districts say paddy prices have gone down to Tk 460 a maund (around 37kg).
In many other districts including Rajshahi,Chapainawabganj, Mymensingh and Netrakona, the prices however ranged from Tk 550 to 750 a maund depending on the quality of paddy.
Meanwhile, food market analysts appreciated the government decision, saying “better late than never”. They however noted purchase of rice, and not paddy, will mainly benefit rice millers instead of farmers.
“We have primarily targeted buying six lakh tonnes of rice. However, if prices fall, we will buy more,” the food secretary said.
The government decision followed a meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee headed by Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque.
After the meeting held on Wednesday, Razzaque told journalists the government targets buying 11 lakh tonnes of rice from the local market in the next fiscal year. If it fails to do so, it will go for import.
The target of rice procurement this fiscal year is 12 lakh tonnes.
The government now has a food stock of 10 lakh tonnes. And import of three lakh tonnes more is in process, food ministry officials said.
Last year, the government initially bought Boro rice at Tk 25 a kg, and later it increased the price to Tk 28 following demands from the rice millers on grounds of high paddy prices.
Former food secretary Abdul Latif Mandal told The Daily Star if the government could buy paddy directly the farmers, it would benefit them. But the benefits will now go to the millers.
Prodip Kuma Roy, a leader of the civic body Democratic Budget Movement, said, “We urge the government to buy paddy directly from the farmers as they are already suffering losses in many northern districts.”
The government-set Boro production target this fiscal year is 1.86 crore tonnes. Aman and Aus output last year stood at 1.22 crore tonnes and 17 lakh tonnes.
The country’s food requirement is estimated at three crore tonnes a year.
Source : The Daily Star
