Shortage of sacks slows paddy procurement in Sirajganj

SIRAJGANJ, July 10: A shortage of sacks at government food warehouses has slowed the Boro paddy and rice procurement drive in Sirajganj, forcing many farmers to return home without selling their produce.

Abdul Halim, a farmer from Raiganj Upazila, said he brought his paddy to the Chandaikona Food Warehouse but was told to return after three days because no sacks were available. He said repeated trips increase transport costs and waste time.

According to the Sirajganj District Food Controller's Office, the district aims to procure 14,132 tonnes of paddy and 25,487 tonnes of parboiled rice during the current Boro season. The drive, which began on May 15, will continue until August 31.

So far, authorities have procured 9,626 tonnes of paddy and 17,545 tonnes of rice.
Officials said the district currently faces a shortage of around 216,000 sacks for rice procurement. For paddy procurement, about 224,300 sacks are required, while only 15,368 usable sacks are in stock.

Raiganj Food Inspector Tanmoy Biswas said the warehouse has already procured 6,580 tonnes of paddy and rice against a storage capacity of 2,500 tonnes, forcing authorities to transfer stocks to warehouses in other districts and upazilas.

Kazipur Food Inspector Waliur Rahman said his office had sought an emergency allocation of 15,000 sacks but had yet to receive them. To keep procurement running, officials are repairing old sacks and borrowing sacks from other warehouses. Ullapara Food Inspector Mizanur Rahman said his warehouse is facing a similar situation.

District Food Controller Harun Or Rashid said the shortage had created some difficulties but expressed confidence that the district would achieve its procurement targets by the August 31 deadline.

He attributed the delay in sack supply to the cancellation of an earlier tender because of high bid prices, followed by delays in the fresh procurement process and contractors' reluctance to supply sacks amid uncertainty over payments.
"Sacks are now being supplied in phases. I would not describe the situation as a crisis," he said.