Import of adequate daily necessities, fertilisers being ensured: Dr Salehuddin

Approval has been given for the import of enough daily necessities and fertilisers including rice, sugar, wheat for the month of Ramadan and there is enough funds allocated for the purpose, said Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

"We hope that these items will be brought very soon," said the adviser during a Food Planning and Procurement Committee (FPMC) meeting at the Cabinet Conference Room of the Secretariat today (6 November).

Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, who is also the FPMC president said, "We have ensured that there will be no shortage of rice, wheat and other daily necessities, such as pulses and dates during Ramadan."

He said, "Monitoring food items is an important issue. We should work on checking stocks of certain products and find out what needs to be imported. We have also asked to increase imports at the private level. They can bring the products quickly."

Imports should be more than the demand, he added.

Prices of rice has been fixed and the prices should be maintained in the market, said the adviser adding that to ensure that the prices of the products do not increase during the upcoming Ramadan timely imports should be ensured.

Food Secretary Md Masudul Hasan said, 3.5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy and 5 lakh metric tonnes of boiled rice, 1 lakh metric tonnes of Atap rice will be collected in this Aman season.

Price of per kg of rice has been fixed at Tk33, boiled rice at Tk47 and Atap rice at Tk46.

Parboiled rice will be collected from 17 November to 28 February. Atap rice will be collected from 17 November to 10 March.