The government has started the procurement of Aman rice across the Nilphamari district.
Sources from the office of the district controller of food (DC) said a total of 6941 tonnes of rice would be procured this season from seven local supply depots (LSD) of the region.
LSD wise procurement target has been fixed at 2602 tonnes in Nilphamari, 718 tonnes in Syedpur, 421 tonnes in Domar, 812 tonnes in Chilahati, 1957 tonnes in Jaldhaka, 113 tonnes in Dimla and 318 tonnes in Kishoreganj.
The DC food sources said rice would be procured at a price of Tk 49 per kg from 148 mills contracted already and only parboiled rice would be procured.
S M Kaisar Ali, an official of the DC food told FE that a total of 943 tonnes of rice have been procured across the district till date.
A maund (40kg) of paddy is being sold at Tk 900 in the market and the price may increase as rice procurement of the government would gain pace, according to the sources.
The mill owners are satisfied with the procurement of rice at Tk 39 per kg and they are eying good profit this season, said Abu Alam, a husking mill owner of Domar upazila.
But farmers in the district have expressed their disappointment over government’s decision of not procuring rice directly from them.
Azizar Rahman, a farmer of Nilphamari Sadar Upazila said government should include them as suppliers so that the farmers can sell rice at higher price than the existing market rate.