The government is set to start the procurement of Boro paddy and rice for the upcoming season on April 28.
The Food Ministry finalized the target to procure 0.65 million tons of Boro paddy, and 1.1 million tons of boiled rice and 0.05 million tons of non-boiled rice in 2022.
The procurement will continue till August 31 this year.
The price of Boro paddy has been fixed at Tk27 per kg, boiled rice at Tk40 per kg and Atap rice (non-boiled) at Tk39.
The decisions were made at a virtual meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee with Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder in the chair on Thursday.
About rice price hike, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said the prices of thin rice in the market have increased slightly as people’s food habits have changed while that of coarse rice has declined.
“In the last few weeks, the coarse rice prices have declined as most of it is used for non-human consumption. People becoming more dependent on thin rice that caused hike in price,” he said
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Sadhan Chandra urged Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzque to take steps to boost the production of thin rice considering the price hike.
Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said an all-out effort has been taken to increase overall agricultural production.
He said the production of two newly-invented varieties of Boro paddy – Bri-89 and Bri-92 -- is being increased.
“Production of these two varieties of paddy will be higher and rice will be thinner,” he added.
Apart from it, to increase food production cultivation of high yielding varieties of paddy is being increased, he said.