Government surpasses rice, paddy procurement targets for Boro season

The food ministry calls this year’s food grain procurement the highest in the country’s history

The government has procured 376,942 tonnes of paddy from the domestic market during the Boro season, according to the information ministry.

In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry said the target for domestic paddy procurement was 350,000 tonnes, meaning that 26,942 tonnes were purchased in excess of the goal.

The food ministry has also procured 146,533 tonnes of parboiled rice and 51,307 tonnes of Atap rice.

Calling this year’s food grain procurement the highest in the country’s history, the ministry said the Boro Procurement Programme 2025 had set a target of 1.4 million tonnes of parboiled rice and 50,000 tonnes of Atap rice.

To stabilise rice prices and ensure food security, the government buys paddy and rice from farmers and suppliers each year.

It also imports rice and wheat from foreign sources to supply several social safety programmes.

The procured food grains are distributed through food-friendly programmes, assistance for the extremely poor, food-for-work schemes, open market sales, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh family card sales, and emergency relief supplies.

According to the latest figures, more than 2.05 million tonnes of paddy, rice, and wheat are now stored in warehouses of the food ministry across the country.

This year, the government fixed the price of Boro paddy at Tk 36 per kg and parboiled rice at Tk 49, an increase of Tk 4 from last year.

The wheat procurement price was set at Tk 36 per kg, although no target was announced.

The procurement drive ran from Apr 24 to Aug 31.

Last year, the government purchased Boro paddy at Tk 32 per kg, parboiled rice at Tk 45, and Atap rice at Tk 44.