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Thursday | February 12, 2026 | Dhaka

Rice procurement picks up in Ishwardi

Ishwardi: Workers are seen busy loading rice sacks at the food godowns in Ishwardi on Wednesday. With the procurement drive nearing its target, activity has intensified to meet the government's collection goals.

Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :

For the first time in eight years, the government’s seasonal food grain procurement campaign in Ishwardi is on track to meet its target, thanks to a combination of fair pricing and a 2% incentive for millers.
According to officials, 95% of the procurement target has already been achieved at the Muladuli Central Storage Depot (CSD), while 70% of the target has been met at the Ishwardi Local Storage Depot (LSD). The achievement comes well ahead of the August 31 deadline.
Md. Tarek-uz-Zaman, Conservation and Transportation Officer at the Ishwardi LSD, and Mamun A Qayyum, Manager of the Muladuli CSD, expressed optimism that the targets will be fully achieved before the end of the campaign period.
The Boro season procurement drive began unofficially on April 24. A total of 98 millers-82 husking mills and 16 auto rice mills-have signed contracts to supply rice this season. The government has set procurement targets at 198 metric tons for paddy and 20,100 metric tons for rice. Wheat targets remain undetermined. The official procurement prices are Tk 36 per kg for paddy and wheat, and Tk 49 per kg for rice.
As of June 9, around 7,000 metric tons of rice have been stored at the Ishwardi LSD, reaching approximately 70% of its target of 10,050 metric tons. The Muladuli CSD has reached about 95% of its 10,050-metric-ton target, according to its manager.
Mamun A Qayyum noted that millers are supplying rice voluntarily and that steps have been taken to ensure hassle-free delivery for contracted suppliers.
Md. Dulal Mondal, President of the Ishwardi Husking Mill Owners’ Association, and Humayun Kabir Dulal, President of the Pabna District Branch of the Bangladesh Auto Rice Mills Honors Association, confirmed that millers are cooperating sincerely with the government in the procurement drive.
Humayun Kabir Dulal stated: “In the past, we supplied rice to godowns without licenses and suffered losses-personally, I lost Tk 12 lakh and my bank guarantee was seized. This time, we’re cooperating because the price is more reasonable. While the profit is minimal, the 2% incentive promised by the government can offset the losses. We urge the government to ensure this incentive is delivered with a humanitarian outlook.”
Officials and stakeholders alike remain hopeful that the ongoing cooperation will result in the full achievement of this season’s procurement targets well ahead of schedule.