The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Government will import more fertilisers and rice to meet a growing demand for the two essential items for the farmers and commoners, as the market remained overheated.

Under the new move, the state-owned Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Ministry of Industries will import about 3,74,500 metric tons of urea and some other kinds of fertiliser.

On the other hand, the Food Directorate under the Ministry of Food will procure about 1,18,000 metric tons of rice from the suppliers.

Of this, 93,000 tons are boiled rice while the rest 25,000 tons non-boiled. Boiled rice price was fixed at Tk 26 and the dry rice price at Tk 24.07 per kg.

The Advisory Committee on Public Purchase yesterday approved the procurement proposals placed by the relevant ministries.

Last month, the same committee, known as Cabinet Purchase Committee, in its two meetings, had given its nod to several proposals for procuring about 1.59 lakh tons of rice and 50,000 tons urea fertiliser to tackle the situation arising out of a demand-supply gap.

Finance Advisor Dr Mirza Azizul Islam, who presided over the meeting, told reporters that the demand for fertiliser remains high during November-January period, the time of massive dry-season farming.

"To meet the demand, this fertiliser will be procured so that the supply of the agriculture input remains available in the country," he said.