The government has made a final decision to export rice in a bid to benefit farmers. To materialise the decision, the commerce ministry is now working to prepare a strategy, according to ministry sources. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will soon sit with the ministries and organisations concerned to discuss the issue, the sources added.
Following the drastic fall in paddy price in the local market that seriously affected the farmers, and in the wake of serious protest across the country, the government has made the decision. "If the government can create the opportunity to export rice, the price of paddy will increase, and the farmers be benefited", according to agriculture and food ministry.
Recently, a rice business delegation has applied to the commerce ministry for approval to export rice at a meeting with the commerce minister. The minister said that they will make the next decision after verifying all aspects of the proposal. According to commerce ministry, Tipu Munshi on Monday left Dhaka to attend a business fair at Kunming in China while commerce ministry secretary, Mofizul Islam, went to the USA last week.
Although a meeting was supposed to be held on Tuesday (June 11) at the Agricultural Ministry, it has known that it will be held after two to three days. The meeting was delayed because the Commerce Minister is out of the country, said Layek Ali, secretary general of rice traders' association.
Earlier, the country’s farmers’ hopes were being dashed in many ways due to a drastic fall in paddy price, wiping the smile off their faces.
They had a bumper yield this year as favourable weather, coupled with the lack of insect attack and rain in February and March helped the rice grow abundantly, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension and experts.
The farmers are selling one maund (40kg) paddy at between Tk 450 and Tk 500 at their respective local markets throughout the country against the average production cost of Tk 650-700. Farmers in different places across the country continued to hold protest rallies and human chains demanding fair price of the paddy while some set fire to paddy fields at different districts.
On May 27, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned the incident of setting fire at a cabinet meeting and wanted to know about the matter from the food minister and agriculture minister. At the same time, the Prime Minister also directed to investigate whether the incident was sabotage by a vested quarter.
The prime minister directed examination of the issue of rice export considering all the issues so that there is no problem in the future. However, the government has not found any demand order for rice import from any country in the world. So, the policy makers of the government are concerned about the matter.
Traders expect that there will be a huge demand for boiled rice by the Bengali-speaking people living in different countries. They may get demand order from there and trying to contact traders in those areas. Agriculture minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said, “We have decided to export 10–15 lakh tonnes of rice this year. Exporters can start doing so immediately. If they apply to the commerce ministry for approval, they will be given permission immediately".
The government will also give incentives up to 30 per cent on rice exports, he added. Abdur Razzaque also said the government decided to export rice to protect farmers from losses caused by falling domestic paddy prices. The government is considering raising incentives to 25– 30 per cent from 20 per cent to encourage rice export, he added. The commerce minister had also said that the government will export rice up to 15 lakh tonnes.
