Government to procure paddy directly from growers, says food minister

Food Minister Md Qamrul Islam has said the government will procure paddy directly from growers to ensure that the latter get fair prices for their produce.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 31 May 2016, 03:47 PM
Updated : 31 May 2016, 03:47 PM

Speaking at an event in the capital on Tuesday, he said, “Middlemen won’t be allowed to get close to farmers this time.”

Qamrul said an announcement would be made through loudspeakers to encourage farmers to sell their items to employees of the Directorate General of Food.

He said the government had set a target to procure 700,000 tonnes of paddy this year and that all the paddy would be bought from cardholding farmers and the prices disbursed to their bank accounts.

The ministry earlier announced that paddy would be procured at Tk 920 a maund (37.32 kg) from May 5 to Aug 31.

But reports from different districts say growers are being compelled to sell their produce to middlemen, not to the government, at Tk 500-700.

According to a media report, a maund of paddy sold at Tk 400 in Siranjganj.