The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE procurement of Boro rice is yet to reach the target set by the government though the timeframe was extended by two months from the scheduled deadline of August 31. The target set for rice was 12 lakh tonnes but the food department has so far procured some 9.25 lakh tonnes. Besides rice, it could procure only 44,900 tonnes of Boro paddy against the set target of 3 lakh tonnes. The target for procurement of rice and paddy both could not be achieved though the government increased the timeframe for the second time till October 31. The government first set the procurement price of rice at Tk 28 per kilogram for rice and Tk 18 per kilogram for paddy on April 16 with the launching of the drive.

The price announced at the beginning of the drive was more than 40 per cent above the production cost and still had been providing 'incentive bonus' for the millers following their demand as they supplied grain to the government under an order issued to fulfil the target. Officials however admitted that the government announced incentives could not help achieve the procurement target set for both Boro rice and paddy.

The flash flood and the high price of rice that in international market and its spillover effect in the domestic market made farmers reluctant to sell their grains to the millers who worked in the field for the government. The drive, in fact, got a jolt in the midway mainly because of inefficient handling vis-à-vis global spiraling of food prices. The government had to increase the procurement price and provide incentives to the suppliers for maintaining a balance and could stock at least nearly a million tonnes of grains.