Govt to procure 8.50 lakh MT food grains this year

The government will procure a total of 8.50 lakh tonnes food grains this year from the marginal farmers across the country.

The decision was taken in an online meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) under the Ministry of Food here today.

Under the programme, two lakh tonnes paddy and 6.50 lakh tonnes rice—6 lakh tonnes parboiled and the rest 50,000 tonnes Atap rice– will be procured by the government, according to the food ministry release.

"The government has set the paddy procurement price at Taka 26 per kg, Taka 37 per kg for parboiled rice and Taka 36 per kg for Atap rice, said food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.

The paddy procurement drive will begin on November 7 and the rice procurement will start from November 15, he said.

The procurement will continue till February 28 in 2021.

Earlier, the government only procured rice during the Aman season, but both the rice and paddy are being procured by the government in the last two years.

Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman and different ministry officials, among others, joined the online meeting.

Food Secretary Nazmanara Khanum moderated the function.

Currently, the country has a stock of some 10.81 lakh tonnes food grains in different public godowns.

In last year, the government had procured six lakh tonnes paddy at a price of Taka 26 per kg, 3.38 lakh tonnes parboiled rice at a price of Taka 36 per kg and 43,401 tonnes Atap rice at a price of Taka 35 per kg.