Govt paddy procurement drive begins

The government on Thursday started Boro paddy procurement drive from internal sources in the country. Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder inaugurated the procurement programme by joining the conference room of the Directorate General of Food through video conference, a press release said.

Paddy is being purchased directly from farmers at Taka 27 per kilogram (kg), the release added.

However, the rice collection will start from May 7 and it will continue till August 31.

The food minister said no one can buy paddy without a license and stockpile it illegally.

The food department has to be informed about who is buying how much paddy and which mill owner is selling it, he added.

Field level food officers need to send this information to the food department on regular basis, Sadhan said, adding that it would be closely monitored whether anyone is stockpiling the paddy illegally or not.

The minister said the mill owners have to sign an agreement with the Directorate General of Food from May 7 to May 16 as the procurement of rice will start from May 7.

He warned all that the time for signing the agreement will not be extended.

District public representatives, senior officials of district administration, district food department officials, mill owners and farmers' representatives of Tangail of Dhaka division, Naogaon of Rajshahi division, Dinajpur of Rangpur division, Sunamganj of Sylhet division, Mymensingh of Mymensingh division, Brahmanbaria of Chattogram division, Barishal division of Barishal and Jhenaidah of Khulna division were connected online.

Director General of the Directorate of Food Md Shakhawat Hossain, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food Md Mozibor Rahman, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Food Abdullah Al Mamun were also apoke on the occasion, among others, with Food Secretary Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum in the chair.