SIRAJGANJ, Nov 19: Despite three-time extension, the District Food Department could not achieve rice collection target.
The last date of rice collection drive ended on November 15 last, but as the rice is selling at higher rate than the government-fixed rate in the market, the millers reduced supply of rice to the government. As a result, around 1,500-tonne less rice than the target was collected.
Meanwhile, the millers said that despite loss, they supplied required rice to the government.
Concerned sources said the Food Department fixed the target to collect 12,439 tonnes parboiled and 6,515 sunned rice in the district this year. The price of per kg parboiled rice was fixed at Tk 34 and per kg sunned rice at Tk 33. The government signed contract with 251 millers out of total 485 millers in the district. But, the price of rice increased abnormally. As a result, the millers reduced the supply of rice due to the increase in rice production cost. Though the price of paddy is a bit low now but the production rate of per kg rice is Tk 36.
Some millers said, only for contract and from responsibility, they are supplying rice to the government, but at the same time they urged the government to adjust the price of rice with the market.
The Food Department sources said they have so far collected 12,000-tonne parboiled and 5,515-tonne sunned rice.
In this connection, President of Raiganj Rice Mill Owners' Samity Abdul Hannan Khan said, "The market price of per kg coarse rice is Tk 40 to 42. The production cost of per kg parboiled coarse rice is Tk 36 and sunned rice is Tk 35. But the government has fixed the price of per kg parboiled rice at Tk 34 and sunned rice at Tk 33. As a result, the traders have incurred loss worth several lakh taka."
President of District Rice Mill Owners' Samity Md Motaleb Hossen said, "The local millers did not incur such loss in the last 15 years. They fell into trouble as the price of paddy increased. Finding no option, they reduced the supply of rice to the government."
In this connection, District Food Controller Md Jahirul Islam Khan said, "We did not face such problem before in collecting rice here. The problem has happened due to price hike of paddy. But, under the contract, the millers are bound to supply the required amount of rice to the government."
