The target of the government’s food procurement drive in Panchagarh is unlikely to be achieved this season due to stoppage of rice supply by the mill owners.
A syndicate of mill owners has stopping supplying rice to the food warehouses citing its market price to be higher than the government fixed price.
Traders said if the price of rice was not increased or the government did not provide necessary intensives, the target might suffer in the current season.
An official concerned said during the current Irri-Boro season, a target was set to purchase 14,690 tonnes of rice at Tk29 per kilogram in five upazilas of the district.
To achieve the target, the Food Department signed an agreement with 400 mill owners of the district.
Among them, 300 mill owners have supplied 9,800 tonnes of rice to the warehouses so far while the rest 100 have not supplied any.
The District Food Department has sent a letter to the millers giving them a warning to fulfil the rest of the target immediately.
According to the agreement, the millers will purchase rice from the local markets and after processing it in their mills, they will supply the rice to the food warehouses.
Form the very beginning, the millers bought rice from outside the district, violating the conditions of the agreement, due to its lower price in the local markets, and provided the same to the warehouses.
When contacted, District Rice Mill Owners Association leader Mohammad Amirul Islam said as the price of rice increased suddenly many millers have failed to provide rice to the warehouses.
In this regard, a meeting of the District Food Procurement Committee was held on Monday with participation of Deputy Commissioner Mohamamd Salah Uddin, where the district food controller was asked to send a letter to those who had not provided any rice yet to the warehouses to ensure their supply within next seven days.
Besides, the meeting also urged the government to provide intensive of Tk one or two per kg to the mill owners.
Acknowledging the price hike of rice in the local markets, District Food Controller Syed Nazrul Islam said as per the agreement the millers were bound to provide rice.
