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Government to procure more boro paddy from farmers


Published : 15 Jun 2020 10:13 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 06:19 PM

The government will buy six tonnes of Boro paddy directly from every farmer across the country in order to ensure food safety during and post Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Earlier, the government used to purchase maximum of three tonnes of rice from each farmer during the Boro season.
To this end, a letter has been sent to the Director-General of the Food Department from the Ministry of Food to take action in this regard by fixing the amount by amending the ‘Domestic Food Grain Procurement Policy 2017’.

In the paragraph 9B of the ‘Domestic Food Grain Procurement Policy 2017’, it is stated that, “To ensure more farmers' involvement, the Upazila Committee will be able to collect minimum three sacks from a farmer. That is 120 kg of paddy and 150 kg of wheat and the maximum amount of paddy/wheat can be collected up to three metric tonnes. The cited amount can be sold by a farmer in phases”.

However, in the case of the current Boro collection season, the highest limit for procurement of paddy as mentioned in the paragraph has been fixed at six metric tonnes instead of three metric tonnes.

The letter cited that, maximum six tonnes of wheat can be collected from the selected farmers through a lottery from the actual list of medium and high class farmers.

The letter also strictly warned that paddy cannot be procured from traders/middlemen or any other channels.
It is to be noted, the government will procure some 11.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice (boiled and non-boiled) and eight lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the current Boro season. Boro paddy procurement has started from April 26, and rice procurement has started from May 7. Procurement will be completed on August 31.

Some 10 lakh metric tonnes of rice will be procured at Tk 36 per kg, 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of non-boiled (atap) rice at Tk 35 per kg and six lakh metric tonnes of paddy will be procured at Tk 26 per kg.