Govt to buy rice at Tk 34, paddy at Tk 24 per kg

The government has decided to buy Boro rice and paddy at Tk 34 and Tk 24 a kilogramme respectively through the direct purchasing scheme from the farmers.

Alongside, the government will purchase wheat at Tk 28 a kg from April 18 to June 30, reports a handout issued by the food ministry.

“We will purchase a total of 8 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 7 lakh metric tonnes of paddy and 1 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from May 2 to August 31,” Food minister Qamrul Islam told reporters after a meeting at his secretariat office this afternoon.

“We will bring change in the purchasing system to encourage farmers and to stop unsolicited influence of middlemen,” Qamrul said, adding that the farmers will be paid through account pay cheques.

The minister said the production cost of a kg of rice and paddy was Tk 31 and 22 this year while it was Tk 29 and 20.70 in the last year.