Bangla Press Desk: The government has procured more than 2.0 million tonnes of Boro rice and paddy this season, setting a record for domestic procurement as attractive government-set prices encouraged farmers and rice millers to supply grain to public warehouses.
For the season, the government set a procurement target of 1.85 million tonnes of cereals, including 0.5 million tonnes of paddy, 1.2 million tonnes of parboiled rice, 0.1 million tonnes of white (atap) rice and 50,000 tonnes of wheat.
Under the announced procurement prices, Boro paddy was purchased at Tk 36 per kg, parboiled rice at Tk 49 per kg, white (atap) rice at Tk 48 per kg and wheat at Tk 36 per kg.
The procurement drive began on May 3 and was initially scheduled to continue until August 31. Later, the Food Ministry extended the deadline to September 30.
As of September 30, the Directorate General of Food (DGoF) had procured 1.31 million tonnes of parboiled rice, 0.11 million tonnes of white (atap) rice, 0.578 million tonnes of paddy and an insignificant amount of wheat.
An official at the Ministry of Food said rice and paddy procurement had reached a record level, considering purchases from domestic sources.
He said paddy procurement alone had also reached a record 0.578 million tonnes.
He said prevailing market prices for coarse rice and paddy remained significantly below the government's procurement prices, which helped it purchase such a large amount.
The official said rice millers had shown strong interest in supplying rice to government warehouses.
DGoF Director (Procurement) Md Maniruzzaman said the government had placed special emphasis on purchasing as much grain as possible from domestic sources to reduce imports.
"We purchased more than 108 per cent of the target," he said.
He said domestic food stocks had also risen to 2.4 million tonnes, of which rice accounted for 2.05 million tonnes.
The DGoF also exceeded its procurement targets during the previous Aman season.
During the Aman procurement drive, the DGoF purchased 0.85 million tonnes of parboiled rice against a target of 0.6 million tonnes, 0.15 million tonnes of paddy against a target of 0.05 million tonnes, and 0.07 million tonnes of white (atap) rice against a target of 0.05 million tonnes.
