All the 19 LSD godowns of the district have suspended receiving rice under the government’s procurement drive in the current Irri-boro season due to space shortage, much to the worry of the farmers and rice mill owners.
The mill owners and farmers fail to supply food grains to the 19 LSD godowns, including those in Naogaon Sadar, Mahadebpur, Manda, Badalgachhi and Raninagar due to the space shortage.
Sources at the district’s Food Department office said the department set a target to procure 63,949 tonnes of rice and 6,228 tonnes of paddy in the current season.
The government fixed Tk32 and Tk22 for each kilogram of rice and paddy respectively as per the official procurement rate, reports BSS.
Besides, the officials concerned of the government food warehouses also signed agreements with 1,200 millers for supplying rice and paddy.
Accordingly, the mill owners started sending rice to the food warehouses from the second week of May.
As there was enough open space in the godowns, 10/12 percent rice was supplied within two weeks.
In the meantime, the stocks pile up soon and created a space shortage within a few days.
Toufiqul Islam Babu, president of the District Rice Mill Owners’ Association, said they were counting heavy losses for the Food Department’s decision.
The traders bought paddy by taking bank loan but now they have to keep their rice in their own godowns which causes a trouble for them to bear the production cost, workers’ wages and other additional expenses, he said.
Instead of gaining profit, the traders are facing trouble as the Food Department has issued a notice to keep their trading suspended in all the 19 food godowns from June 19, he added.
Arun Kumar Pramanik, acting officer of Naogaon Sadar food godown, said the warehouse has a capacity of storing 7000 tonnes of rice and paddy.
