The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Government yesterday floated a tender to import 100,000 tonnes of rice to meet the food shortage.

Food and Disaster Management Ministry issued the tender to import 100,000 tonnes of non-basmati parboiled rice to meet post-cyclone emergency needs, official sources said yesterday.

The tender will close on January 21, with validity up to February 10, for shipment within 30 days of the date of signing of the contract.

The tender price has to be quoted separately for the Chittagong and Mongla seaports, based on the cost of cargo, insurance and freight including stevedoring on the seller's account, at both ends of the shipment. The country requires 1 million tonnes of rice either from imports or grants by the end of June, the officials said.

The super Cyclone Sidr, which hit the country on November 15, killed more than 3,200, displaced over 2 millions and damaged a huge quantity of crops.

The cyclones, following devastating floods in July and September, and other natural disasters, will disrupt agricultural production, raising the food deficit from the present 2.8 to3.0 millions tonnes to 4.7 million tones, highest in two decades time, Agriculture Ministry officials said.