Minister asserts adequate rice stock
Rice prices will not cross people's affordable levels, as the government has an adequate stock of the staple, Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said yesterday following reports on price rises.
“There is no reason to be worried for a sudden hike in the price of rice as it did not go beyond the buying capacity of masses,” he told reporters at his office.
The minister said the government is monitoring the market and will take steps to control the price.
Asked whether the decision on export of rice caused recent price hikes, Razzaque said the government has not yet decided to export rice. “We are now pursuing a wait-and-see policy to allow the export of rice.”
The minister said the government has attained 100 percent success in food procurement this year as it has a total stock of 12 lakh tonnes.
Meanwhile, he said, the Aman harvest, which might be started within 20-25 days, will be better enough than the previous year's as the target of aman planting was fulfilled across the country this year.
Razzaque claimed the price of rice still remained stable on the market at district level, while the paddy's price rose to Tk 600 per maund, which might let farmers gain profits.
The food minister said prices of coarse rice marked a slight increase by Tk 1 per kg, while fine rice rose by Tk 2 per kg.
He further said the government will also start different social-safety-net programmes to mitigate sufferings of the poor.
As part of the charity recipe, the government will start Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme and employment-generating programme for the poor.
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