Business Report :
Around 16 lakh tonnes of rice gets wasted in the country every year due to over-polishing, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar said on Thursday.
“Bangladesh annually produces 4 crore tonnes of rice. Subjecting this rice to five rounds of polishing leads to a 4-5% reduction in its weight. As a result, annual rice production has declined by 16 lakh tonnes,” the minister told journalists after the inauguration of the BMRE project at Ashuganj Silo in Brahmanbaria.
“If the rice were polished only twice, it would improve its nutritional content and minimise losses,” he added.
He also said, “When rice prices unexpectedly rose, retailers often accuse mill owners of raising prices. Therefore, from now on, it is essential to label each bag with the rice variety, weight, production date, and mill price.
“This will prevent retailers from claiming that they have bought rice at a higher price.”
The food minister further said a new law has been passed to prevent hoarding and mitigate crises, incorporating provisions that include life imprisonment as the highest penalty for hoarders.