The government has set the target to procure five lakh tonnes of paddy directly from the farmers and 11 lakh tonnes of boiled rice, one lakh tonnes of atap (pear boiled) rice in the coming Boro season.
The rice and paddy procurement will begin on May 7 and continue till August 31, according to the decision of the meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC).
During the same period, the government will buy 50,000 tonnes of wheat from local farmers. According to the meeting decision, the procurement price of Boro paddy has been fixed at Tk 32 per kg, boiled rice at Tk 45, atap rice Tk 44 and wheat at Tk 34 per kg. In the Boro season of 2023, the price of paddy was Tk 30 per kg, boiled rice Tk 44, atap rice Tk43 and wheat Tk 35.
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, also chair of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC), presided over the meeting held in the Cabinet meeting room at Secretariat on Sunday.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Md Tajul Islam, Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibbur Rahman, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu and State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Rokeya Sultana were present.
Secretaries and senior officials of several ministries and FPMC were present in the meeting.
While briefing after the meeting, Sadhan Chandra Majumder told media that the price of paddy and rice has been increased by Tk2 per kg, so that the farmers get fair price and their profits. It would encourage the farmers to grow more foodgrains in future.
"The government has decided to procure paddy directly from the farmers. This year, five lakh tonnes of paddy would be procured. Most of the paddy would be bought from the farmers of Haor region," he said, adding, "If necessary more paddy would be bought from the farmers across the country."
All the field level administration would be involved with the paddy procurement process, he stated.
