Govt to procure 17.50 lakh MT foodgrains in Boro season

Staff Reporter :
The government has decided to procure 17.50 lakh tonnes of foodgrains during the upcoming Boro procurement season as the four-month-long internal food procurement drive begins next month.
Considering the increasing price of rice, paddy and wheat in the local market and production cost of the farmers, the government has decided to procure the food grain from local production at Tk three to Tk seven higher price than the previous years.
To carry out internal food grain procurement, especially Boro paddy and rice and wheat, from May this year, per kilogram paddy price was set at Tk30 while parboiled rice at Tk44 and wheat at Tk35.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) under the Food Ministry held at the Secretariat’s Cabinet conference room with Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, also head of the committee, in the chair on Thursday.
Among others, Agriculture Minister Dr Md. Abdur Razzaque, Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister M Tajul Islam, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, and Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim attended the meeting.
Besides, secretaries from different ministries, including Cabinet Secretary were present.
According to meeting decision, in the Boro procurement season, 4 lakh tonnes paddy, 12.50 lakh tonnes parboiled rice and the rest one lakh tonnes wheat would be procured from the farmers.
“The internal food procurement will begin on May 7 and it will continue till August 31 this year,” the meeting was told. In 2022, the paddy procurement price was fixed at Taka 27 per kg, parboiled rice at Taka 40 and wheat at Taka 28. After the meeting, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder briefed media about the meeting decisions.
He said that the government has decided to procure 17.50 lakh tonnes of foodgrains during the upcoming Boro season and the procurement drive begins on May 7.
“The internal food procurement will begin on May 7 and it will continue till August 31 this year,” he added.