Govt may procure upto 8 lakh tonnes of paddy to ensure fair prices: Food minister
The government will procure 7-8 lakh tonnes of paddy instead of the existing target of 4 lakh tonnes if needed, to ensure fair prices for farmers in the current Boro season, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday.
"The government wants farmers to get good prices for their crops. If farmers get good prices we'll happy. We are working to ensure it," he said.
The Food Minister said this at a press briefing after he inaugurated the Collection of Boro paddy and rice-2023 through a virtual platform from his office room in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
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"The government has decided to collect 400,000 tonnes of Boro paddy in the current Boro season. But if the farmer does not get the prices of paddy properly, then the government will procure 7-8 lakh tonnes of paddy if necessary. Besides, 12.5 lakh tonnes of rice will be procured (in this season)," he said.
The minister, however, said there will be no compromise on the quality of rice during the collection drive. The field officials have already been instructed to complete the collection properly, ensuring the quality of the rice, he said.
He said the government is buying paddy at a higher price this time considering the interests of the farmers.
Sadhan Chandra said the paddy should be harvested within the next 15 days so that the crops would not be damaged in any natural calamity.
He said the food officials were directed to blacklist mill owners who did not sign contracts to supply rice to the government in the last season and not send their names incorporating these in the fit list. Those who helped the government by signing contracts are in the good book of the government.
During the current season of Boro collection-2023, a target was set to procure 4.00 lakh tonnes of paddy, 12.50 lakh tonnes of boiled rice and 1 lakh tonnes of wheat. The collection will continue till August 31, 2023.
The collection price of boro paddy has been fixed at Tk30 per kg, while that of boiled rice at Tk44 and wheat at Tk35 per kg.
In 2022, the prices of paddy, rice and wheat were Tk27, Tk40 and Tk28 respectively, said a press release.
