Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Tuesday said all the food traders will be brought under a single roof for maintaining sound supply of food items as well as ensuring their quality.
From food production to retailing, the traders now have to pass through 18 different agencies that causes various complications regarding supply, quality and other issues, he added.
The minister said these while speaking at a seminar - 'Safer Food for Better Economy' - organised by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) at a city hotel to mark the World Safe Food Day 2022.
Food Secretary Dr Mosammat Najamanara Khanum chaired the programme, where Bangladesh Bank former governor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Dr Giashuddin Miah, and FAO Country Representative Robert Simpson were also present, among others, said a release.
The food minister further noted that the BFSA is working hard, but it has no authority over issuing licences. In that case, it is difficult to work on time.
Addressing the food traders, he said the traders should improve the quality of food items. Some people prepare unsafe food items only for making profit.
Now ethnic communities, especially expatriates, are the key buyers of Bangladeshi agricultural products, he noted.
"We want to grab the mainstream foreign markets also. We expect that the country's foods will grab a notable share in the global market."
The minister informed the newsmen that in order to make the rice market stable, the government is going to make specific law on how much rice a trader could store, and what could be mixed with it. In this way, the nutritional value of rice would remain intact.
"The draft law has already been passed in the cabinet. I hope it will be passed in the next session of the parliament. Then it will be easy to take hold of rice traders and bring them under control."
Mr Majumder opined that public awareness is also needed to keep rice prices stable.
"Our tendency is we don't buy rice in loose form. But after polishing and packaging by the private sector companies we buy the same item at Tk 10 higher prices per kg," he added.
