Govt lowers Aman price to Tk 36 a kg
To procure 6 lakh tonnes from domestic sources
The government will procure Aman rice from domestic sources this season at Tk 36 a kg, which is lower than last year's Tk 39.
The procurement target has doubled as the food ministry aims to procure six lakh tonnes from December 1 to February 28, Minister Qamrul Islam told reporters yesterday.
The procurement target may be raised later, he said after a meeting with the Food Monitoring Committee.
The government took into consideration the stock and production cost while making the decisions, he said.
Production cost of Aman rice this year was Tk 34.50 amid a bumper harvest, Qamrul said, citing food ministry data.
The farmers would be able to make a profit, he said.
According to the food ministry data, retail price of coarse rice is Tk 38 to Tk 40 while the wholesale price is Tk 34 to Tk 35.
The government stock was lower last year while the market price was higher: over Tk 43.
The government now has a stock of 12.18 lakh tonnes.