Staff Correspondent:

This year, the government will procure 17.5 lakh tonnes of Boro paddy and rice at Tk 36 and Tk 49, respectively, marking an increase of Tk 4 from the previous year.

Of the total procurement, the government will procure 3.5 lakh tonnes of paddy and 14 lakh tonnes of rice, which will begin from April 24 and continue till August 31.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee at the Secretariat on Wednesday with Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

The committee decided to procure wheat at Tk 36, said Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar.

The price of paddy and rice has been fixed by adding profit to the production cost given by the Ministry of Agriculture, he said.

Harvesting of paddy has started in the haor areas and it will start in full swing from Pahela Baishakh. The agriculture adviser will go there to inaugurate the procurement process on April 24, he added.

Last year, the government set a target to procure 5 lakh tonnes of Boro paddy, 11 lakh tonnes of boiled rice and one lakh tonnes of Atap rice at Tk 32, Tk 45 and Tk 44, respectively.

Despite the continuous floods and heavy rains, the government has maintained a stable situation by importing fertiliser and rice and the target of paddy and rice procurement has been fulfilled, said the Finance adviser.