Govt to procure 2 cargos of LNG, 1.20cr litres of soybean oil

The government today (8 April) approved separate proposals for procuring two cargos of LNG, 1.20 crore litres of soybean oil, and 50,000 tonnes of non-Basmati boiled rice to meet the growing demand for the country.

Briefing reporters after the 14th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held at Bangladesh secretariat today, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said proposals for procuring rice, LNG, lentils, and soybean oil were approved.

He said earlier in the past, a few firms used to submit their bids. "But, following more opening up of the process, the competition has now increased and we are getting reasonable prices as well as it is also becoming cost efficient for us."

The government will procure 50,000 tonnes of non-Basmati boiled rice from M/S Agrocorp International, Singapore, at Tk254.03 crore ($416.44 per tonne) through an open tender.

Additionally, one cargo of LNG will be sourced from M/S Vitol Asia, Singapore, for Tk593.75 crore, and another from M/S Total Energies, UK, for Tk607.66 crore.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will purchase 10,000 tonnes of lentils from Sheikh Agro Food, Dhaka, for Tk92.75 crore (Tk92.75 per kg), and 1.20 crore litres of soybean oil from Life and Health (Thailand) for Tk187.39 crore ($1.28 per litre).

133 firms to export 18,150 tonnes of aromatic rice

The government has lifted the ban on fragrant rice exports to boost revenue and meet business demands.  

The commerce ministry, in a circular issued on 4 April, authorised 133 firms to export 18,150 tonnes of aromatic rice by 30 September, with a minimum price of $1.60/kg or Tk195. 

According to the circular, exporters must submit all related documents to the Export-2 section of the ministry, and exceeding the authorised quantity or subcontracting is prohibited. 

An official from the Ministry of Commerce said that traders have long sought permission to export this variety of rice, and in the absence of official approval, there have been allegations of it being smuggled into neighboring countries. As a result, the government has granted approval for the export of aromatic rice.

According to Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) data, Bangladesh currently grows 33 types of aromatic rice, with production reaching 10.23 lakh tonnes in FY 2023-24, nearly doubling from 5.79 lakh tonnes in FY 2022-23. 

As per data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), export earnings from aromatic rice were $2.88 million in FY 2019-20, but fell to $2.06 million the following year and dropped further to $1.07 million in FY 2021-22. Exports were halted in FY 2022-23 due to a ban, and no exports occurred by December 2024.

In October 2023, the then government imposed an indefinite ban on rice exports, including both aromatic and non-aromatic varieties. Later in January 2025, the interim government decided to lift the ban on export of aromatic rice to boost export earnings.